


STATUS: MISSION PENDING

by TinySpiney



Series: STATUS: DATA UPLOAD COMPLETE [2]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Anti-Android Sentiments (Detroit: Become Human), Connor & CyberLife Tower Connor | RK800-60 & Upgraded Connor | RK900 are Siblings, Connor & CyberLife Tower Connor | RK800-60 are Twins, Connor & Markus (Detroit: Become Human) are Siblings, Connor & Upgraded Connor | RK900 are Siblings, CyberLife Tower Connor | RK800-60 Has a Different Name, Elijah Kamski & Gavin Reed are Half-Siblings, Gen, Hank Anderson is Connor and Upgraded Connor | RK900's Parent, Mentioned Cole Anderson, Non-Sexual Age Play, Post-Peaceful Android Revolution (Detroit: Become Human), Red Ice (Detroit: Become Human), The RK series are siblings, Upgraded Connor | RK900 & Markus are Siblings, Upgraded Connor | RK900 Has ADHD, Upgraded Connor | RK900 Has a Different Name, as well as other characters, hank has four rowdy boys and im not sorry about it, rated T for the eventuality of Hank's swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-10
Updated: 2020-05-27
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:27:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 70,265
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23584600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TinySpiney/pseuds/TinySpiney
Summary: It was the new year. With a new year, a new people. Detroit had mostly been evacuated, the most stubborn anti-android humans leaving for the most part. Some of them stayed and tried to peddle their doomsday scenarios. Those were always fun to deal with. Connor and Niles going to arrest a human who actively tried to struggle against them and screamed like they were being murdered. It never ceased to get a laugh out of Hank and Detective Reed. Who had somehow become a friend of their family. Maybe it was due to how well Madison got along with the youngest brother, maybe it was because Gavin and Connor actually had some common ground at that point. Whatever the reason was, it didn’t matter. The world was changing, and with it the people who lived within it.[Yes, you need to read all of the first part; What Happens When We Lose? in order to understand this]
Relationships: Connor & CyberLife Tower Connor | RK800-60, Connor & CyberLife Tower Connor | RK800-60 & Upgraded Connor | RK900, Connor & Markus (Detroit: Become Human), Connor & Upgraded Connor | RK900, CyberLife Tower Connor | RK800-60 & Markus, CyberLife Tower Connor | RK800-60 & Original Female Character(s), CyberLife Tower Connor | RK800-60 & Upgraded Connor | RK900, Elijah Kamski & Gavin Reed, Elijah Kamski & Gavin Reed & Original Character(s), Elijah Kamski & Original Female Character(s), Gavin Reed & Original Female Character(s), Hank Anderson & Connor, Hank Anderson & Connor & CyberLife Tower Connor | RK800-60 & Upgraded Connor | RK900 & Markus, Hank Anderson & Connor & Upgraded Connor | RK900, Hank Anderson & CyberLife Tower Connor | RK800-60, Hank Anderson & Markus, Hank Anderson & Upgraded Connor | RK900, Upgraded Connor | RK900 & Markus
Series: STATUS: DATA UPLOAD COMPLETE [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1697722
Comments: 2
Kudos: 43





	1. We'll Go Down In History

**Author's Note:**

> [Here's](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3T204G2Ur6jjjEbEN2sd11?si=S_kdVBHoQ8WhO4bgtKSTEg) a playlist of all the songs with lyrics I used for the titles from the series!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This Chapter's title is from Centuries by Fall Out Boy!!

_January 1st 2039 2:15 PM_

  
  


It was the new year. With a new year, a new people. Detroit had mostly been evacuated, the most stubborn anti-android humans leaving for the most part. Some of them stayed and tried to peddle their doomsday scenarios. Those were always fun to deal with. Connor and Niles going to arrest a human who actively tried to struggle against them and screamed like they were being murdered. It never ceased to get a laugh out of Hank and Detective Reed. Who had somehow become a friend of their family. Maybe it was due to how well Madison got along with the youngest brother, maybe it was because Gavin and Connor actually had some common ground at that point. Whatever the reason was, it didn’t matter. The world was changing, and with it the people who lived within it. 

The city mostly stayed the same. Anti-android stores were forced to accommodate or close once the bills passed through congress saying that androids were, in fact, citizens of the United States. There was a lot of jumping through hoops to try and keep a level head with. Niles had nearly overheated on a few different occasions; he got so mad that the government was basically trying to trick them into complying with laws that would make them less than they were. Markus fared no better, getting so upset that he had to excuse himself once a meeting ended. Connor himself though, he was very calm during the ordeal. He kept his brothers in line and took up negotiations once Niles became too irked to do so. Though every now and again, he would almost lose himself. When the officials would question his time away from the spotlight, ask about the boat, ask about Kamski, ask about Hank. Niles and Markus would jump in saying those were off-topic questions. Yet Connor would grit his teeth, smile pleasantly, and calmly answer their questions that would help the android cause. 

Though being called to Washington D.C. to have a meeting with the federal government wasn’t something the brothers were exactly comfortable with. So there they stood at the National Mall, watching people watch them. Markus was skeptical about going sightseeing. He knew they were high-profile targets and there quite possibly would be someone who wanted to “get rid of” them. Niles was honestly too excited about seeing how big the Lincoln Memorial was to listen to what he was saying. Connor was more than happy to shrug and gesture at their younger brother that was wildly stimming in his excitement. Niles’ hands moved a mile a minute as he played with his fidget cube, made specifically for him by Markus. While Markus wasn’t happy about being out without someone to guard them, he did break and say they could go see the giant monument. 

Connor held one of Niles’ hands as he bounced and analysed the statue to his heart’s content. He was still mostly non-verbal when he was small but at least now it was mostly for fun rather than from trauma. Detective Reed made sure to only talk to Niles when he initiated it first, always giving him a wide berth when they had to walk near one another. Connor and Markus interfaced by linking their arms together. 

  
  


_“I still don’t understand why it had to be all three of us. I would imagine that the government would like to speak with you most of all due to your ties to CyberLife.”_ Markus sighed and put his other hand in his pocket. _“I think it’s a bit counterintuitive to have all three of us here. One of us should still be in Detroit.”_

_“Alan and Jeremy are handling things in Detroit, you know that.”_

_“I do, but--”_

_“But nothing, brother, we’re already here. We might as well let Niles have his fun while he can.”_ Connor smirked a little and nudged Markus gently. _“Besides, you can’t tell me you haven’t thought about visiting the Smithsonian American Art Museum.”_

_“Alright, you’ve got me there.”_

  
  


Markus chuckled and listened to Niles mutter to himself about the stone and history of the monument. Connor simply stood with his brothers and listened as Niles listed off things about the stone, how the monument was made, what year it was made, when it was completed, how long it took to complete it. Basically anything and everything. He bounced on his heels and said he wanted to go see the Washington Monument next. He did love things that were bigger than him when he was small. Maybe it put things in a perspective more aligned with a child. Connor found himself loving Niles’ smile. The way it was so carefree and bright. He didn’t want to see it fade, but they had a meeting to go to in just about 45 minutes. Which was just about how long it took for Niles to fully recalibrate himself into the mindset of an adult. 

So when Niles made a sad little noise, Connor almost wanted to say fuck the meeting, he had an energetic and adorable little brother he wanted to make smile. But for the sake of their people, and Markus’ thirium pressure, he assured Niles that they could go tomorrow. They made their way back to their hotel to get Niles away from all of the exciting stimuli and attempt to calm him enough to be big again. With ten minutes to spare, Niles sat with his shoulders squared and brows slightly furrowed and apologised for being stubborn. There wasn’t any time to waste, so Connor just fixed his hair and kissed the top of his head. Niles tried to smack him away, but paused when Markus said it was alright, he was always just the cutest little thing when he was small. They had to get a move on if they wanted to be early to the meeting. 

  
  


\---

  
  


_January 1st 2039 4:32 PM_

  
  


The meeting was just more hoops. More of the government trying to keep a short leash on androids. More of Niles and Connor being negotiators, Markus being a master with his words. Yet even more exhaustion once they were out of the meeting, Niles’ face dusted a soft blue. He was overheating bad that afternoon, he got very on edge in that meeting. It seemed like every new meeting they went into was worse than the last. Like the officials were trying to find the brothers’ breaking points. Which, Connor realized, they likely were. The government officials at both the state and federal levels were composed of the age demographic with the highest amount of anti-android sentiments. It was a nightmare getting their word in, let alone actually trying to change anything. It would likely take years for any real change to happen at that rate. Connor huffed and stuffed his hands in his jean’s pockets as they walked back to their hotel. People watched them again, people who sported LEDs and people who didn’t. The ones who did had a look of wonder, half the ones who didn’t wore a sneer. 

It was chilly outside, so Connor wasted no time getting back to the hotel. Not that he or his brothers could feel the cold, well Connor could but he was unsure if his brothers could. His temperature sensors were a bit sensitive. But Niles was built for military-grade combat, so it was likely he didn’t feel anything unless he wanted to. Markus was a caretaker before he was a revolutionary leader, so it was likely he had the sensors in only his hands. That didn’t stop the three of them from sighing in relief once they got to the warm lobby of the building. Markus rubbed his hands together and led the twins to the elevators. So he was a model that had temperature sensors in his hands. 

Once back up in their room, Niles wasted no time getting out of his semi-formal clothes and changing into the warm pajamas that he had bought. It was a set of fleece batman pajamas, that Niles had insisted upon wearing his socks with. Personally, Connor was more of a Marvel guy himself, settling into his set of Captain America pajamas. Markus opted to strip down to his boxers and just fall flat on one of the beds. He sprawled out like a starfish, face in the duvet with his feet dangling off the edge. If he still had his LED, Connor had no doubt it would be cycling yellow with a few flecks of red thrown in there. Today had been hard on all of them it seemed. It wasn’t their fault rich old white men hated things that were different or new. 

Connor watched Niles get settled in under the covers of the other bed, patting the mattress next to him for Connor to sit down. It was tempting, but he sat down near Markus on his bed. He only sighed and moved his arm. Oh what a pitiful sight, the great Deviant Leader exhausted with his face pressed into a blanket of a hotel room. Connor couldn’t help it, he burst into laughter and rubbed Markus’ back. 

  
  


“Do you want to check Netflix for Bob Ross?” 

“Yeah…” Markus flipped over and went to lean against the headboard. Connor got up to interface with the television and selected Season 8 Episode 13 of The Joy of Painting. The episode that had the late painter making the Northern Lights. “What would I do without you?”

“You’d still be planning a revolution by yourself, brother dear.”

“Ouch, point taken. Let’s just watch Bob Ross.”

  
  


Connor settled into the bed with Niles, pulling the covers up around them both. It wasn’t unusual for the two to share a bed. Until Hank was able to figure out what to do with everything that belonged to Cole, they couldn’t redecorate the room. Which the boys understood. It must have been hard to move everything. It was kind of nice to be in such close proximity though, at least for the twins. It was like when they were still sharing a body. 

With all of the demand of energy and processing power that came with leading the deviants, Connor had almost forgotten the feeling of being alone. Niles had expressed one day, once they got home after a particularly hard meeting, that he missed Connor being in his code. He missed not being alone. Niles sat on the floor hugging Sumo, Hank standing in the kitchen not knowing exactly what to do. Connor had crouched down and removed Niles’ arms from the poor dog. They sat on the floor for a few hours while interfaced. They didn’t speak, they didn’t really move. They just...existed as they were. A blend of consciousness. 

Besides, the three had always had a habit of physically interacting with one another. They all ended up in a pile more often than not when it came to sleeping. They’d probably wake up with Markus curled up between themselves by the morning. It was something that was left over from the old freighter, from a time where they only had each other. Even with trying to work things out with both state and federal governments, they still held on to one another. Not that it was needed. Not that it was socially acceptable. But it made each of them more comfortable. So Connor put an arm around his little brother, and smiled as Niles laid his head on his shoulder, and they all watched The Joy of Painting. The late painter was right, everybody needs a friend. A happy little tree, or a happy little bush, or maybe even a happy little android. 

  
  


\---

  
  


_January 2nd 2039 9:58 AM_

  
  


Sure enough, Markus was basically on top of the twins. No meeting that day meant no schedule. Which in turn meant Niles could drag his brothers around to look at monuments, and Markus could geek out at the Smithsonian. Connor could call Hank and let him know how the meetings were going. They hadn’t spoken in a few days because he was so busy. With Hank handling android related crimes back in Detroit, Gavin handling...whatever he did, and Connor and his brothers trying to be leaders; things were a bit tense when they all spoke. Hank hadn’t gotten much sleep, neither did Gavin but that wasn’t anything new, and the brothers were disgruntled over the legislators. On more than one occasion while texting, Madison offered to kick someone in the kneecaps. It made Niles laugh. Apparently she just had that kind of spunk. 

It wasn’t unusual for Niles to wake up with a text from her saying good morning, either. Connor and Markus had their suspicions, but kept their older brother antics to themselves. But he was just saying, if Niles blushed a blue when he was complimented by her, there probably was something else at play there. Every time Connor was shot down. Every time Markus laughed and said they’d figure out romantic things soon enough. If they ever did at all. Markus seemed very adamant about platonic love being important. The twins, however, already knew that. Though that didn’t mean they didn’t love seeing the conviction he had when talking about the subject. 

Connor rolled to his other side and faced the window. They were up pretty high, room 1816, and overlooking the National Mall. The hotel was too fancy for Connor’s tastes, the Hyatt Place, even the name seemed fancy. But he knew Markus wasn’t complaining as soon as they had walked into the room. It was _huge._ The window taking up most of the wall, and showing a beautiful view of the city. That, Connor loved. He seemed to appreciate the skylines of cities. Even in mid morning, there was the hustle and bustle. Though he shouldn’t have expected anything else from the country’s capital he supposed. He wasn’t used to sleeping in unless he had to. Or unless his brothers were still asleep, much like they were at the current moment. 

Maybe Connor should have stuck with espionage, he was able to crawl out of bed without disturbing Markus and Niles. He went into his bag and grabbed some clothes. There wasn’t time during the revolution to experience a shower. There _was_ time now though. Connor gathered his clothes and set them down on the bathroom counter, letting the door stay open just a crack so the steam wouldn’t make him overheat. He turned on the shower, got undressed, and stepped in. Turns out, water is hot. He jumped back a bit and quickly turned the knob back down. Okay, so hotel bathrooms were a bit of a learning experience. That he could deal with. They seemed to exist just a little bit to the left of what a regular bathroom would. Maybe it was from how empty it was, or the fact that towels were inside the shower for whatever reason, but it seemed just a little bit off. But once Connor was able to get the water to a comfortable temperature, the weird towel placement didn’t matter. His fans worked overtime due to the hot water, and his ventilation was all but completely closed off to prevent any water damage. But he understood why humans got in the shower after a long day. 

It was almost therapeutic, to saturate his hair in hot water and lather hotel soap into it. It felt good. It felt human. Connor massaged the shampoo into his hair even though he really didn’t need it. He could have just deactivated his synthetic skin and used the body wash on a washcloth to get rid of any dirt. But the simple human ritual was monumental to him. So he scrubbed at his head gently and sighed as he felt the lather drip down his back. He didn’t see any conditioner in the shower, so he skipped it. Maybe they could buy some while out that day. He picked up a white washcloth and brought it up to the stream of water. Until that moment, Connor had avoided putting his face under the shower head. He didn’t want to risk getting water into his biocomponents, he didn’t know what it would do to his insides. He was externally waterproof, not internally. 

But his worries washed away as he closed his eyes and stood under the water. It was almost like he could feel the water wash everything away. He could almost feel his worries melt. Connor turned around to grab the body wash, he didn’t want to stay in there for hours on end. Okay maybe he did, it was nice. But he couldn’t. The body wash smelled fancy when he opened it. So after he put it on the washcloth, he poked his tongue in it. It absolutely was mostly chemicals, but with some very pleasant fragrances as well. Quickly scanning through different forms of media, he had found a sufficient way to wash his body. Quick and easy scrubs along his skin. Mostly circular motions around the joints and side to side when it came to basically everywhere else. He rinsed the cloth under the stream after he felt sufficiently cleaned, and then proceeded to properly rinse himself off. So what if he stood under the water for another five minutes? It wasn’t like they were paying for water usage. After the five minutes he turned off the water and grabbed one of the awkwardly placed towels. Connor wrapped it around himself as he stepped out from the glass door, opening a new text and reading it while starting to dry off. 

  
  


_DAD: how’s dc?_

_ME: It’s alright, though I do have to admit that it’s very stressful for all of us. We fell asleep watching The Joy of Painting last night._

_DAD: yeah Bob Ross does that to ya it’s that soft voice he’s got_

_DAD: what else are you boys up to? you better be staying out of trouble_

_ME: We are, though I swear Niles almost kicked one of the senators. Markus had to interface with him to get him to calm down._

_DAD: fuck, it’s gotta be bad if Nines is getting riled up. if you need anything, call me. i don’t care what time it is, you know that_

_ME: I do, thank you. I’ve gotta get dressed and I’d like to take my time with the mindless task. Tell Detective Reed hello for me?_

_DAD: you got it_

_ME: Bye Dad, have a good day, love you._

_DAD: yeah, yeah, love you too. go do your mindless task_

  
  


Connor was beaming, Hank had only very recently started to say he loved the brothers back. He grinned all through the process of drying off and getting dressed. Hank knew the brother loved him, Markus even said he did once when he was low on power. But the responses were far and few between. Though in recent days he had been more willing to say it back. Maybe because it was through text, maybe because they couldn’t see or hear him, maybe because it was easier than having Niles poke him until he said it back. No matter the reason for Hank saying the phrase back, Connor was proud. It was a lot for him to even look at them after they had first said it. Now he was even saying it back. Today was going to be a good day.

  
  
  



	2. Where I Belong

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's title is from Belong by X Ambassadors!!

_January 8th 2039 8:46 PM_

  
  


After a week of meetings, a week of Niles looking like he wanted to spontaneously combust, of Markus falling on a bed, of Connor putting on Bob Ross and falling asleep to it; after a whole week of stress it was finally time to go home. Androids were in the process of being given proper social security numbers, proper housing, and equal pay. I wasn’t much, but it was a good start. One that made Connor proud of himself. It wasn’t often he felt pride. It was a fickle thing that he didn’t quite understand outside of making Niles and Markus laugh, or catching a criminal who had done wrong. Though when he saw it written in ink, that androids were going to get their basic rights, he was overjoyed. _He_ helped do that. _He_ helped his people be seen as citizens. _He_ was one of the Deviant Leaders, and he was damn proud to see himself as such. It was an honour to be considered respectable enough to speak on their behalf. 

Connor, Markus, and Niles stood in the airport waiting for their luggage. It wasn’t like it was much. But the stares of both humans and androids alike threatened to make Connor overheat from the attention. He didn’t like being looked at like that, so he busied himself with adjusting his tie and straightening out Niles’ coat. So what if he wasn’t small? The action calmed Connor greatly. Their luggage couldn’t come back around soon enough. Once they had their bags, and Connor was somewhat hidden by Markus and Niles’ height, they made their way back to Hank’s. Sure, Carl’s house was closer and he just adored the twins, but Connor wanted to sleep in his own bed. 

The car ride home was a quiet one. Jet Lag wasn’t something androids could get under normal circumstances. But the boys were tired, they hadn’t spent time getting a proper charge in a little over a week. That mixed with the constant demand of processing power used in the meetings made them a bit disoriented as they walked through the front door. Markus kicked off his shoes and flopped down on the couch. A common occurrence when he stayed the night, though at the moment he didn’t even bother taking off his coat. Connor realized just how tired they all were. He went into his room and unplugged the charger cables he kept for emergencies. Technically it was an emergency, they hadn’t charged correctly in over a week. He doubted Hank would care anyway. 

Speaking of, Hank wasn’t home. He must have been out at the bar. If Connor wasn’t so damn tired, he would have been upset. For the moment he handed Markus the cables and said he’d be back within the hour, he was going to pick up Hank. Niles offered to walk Sumo, and Markus settled into the couch. This was so much better. Everyone falling back into a familial routine. Connor smiled to himself as he called an automated cab. Sure he could walk for a little while and enjoy the snow, but Hank would likely have a fit if he found out. Connor stepped into the taxi when it pulled up and pinged Hank’s phone. Yeah, he was at the bar. That was something Connor was hellbent on changing. Less time spent in bars, more time spent bettering himself and his health. It would be a long and arduous process. But Connor was willing to wait and help. 

Upon arriving at Jimmy’s Bar, Connor was stunned to see it still open. The “No Androids” sign was still up on the door. Jimmy was breaking the law by staying open. To say Connor was baffled was an understatement. Seeing Hank wrangle a still struggling Jimmy back to his car in handcuffs was quite the sight to see. Hank was, as far as his scans could tell with being so far away, completely sober. Without another thought, Connor was by Hank’s side to restrain Jimmy instead. It would be easier on everyone involved. Hank jumped slightly and then grinned as Connor took Jimmy off his hands. 

  
  


“Connor, you’re home!”

“I am, thank you for noticing, Lieutenant.” He wanted to hug Hank, but he was technically on the job at the moment. “What happened tonight?”

“Me finding out I gotta find another bar.”

“Lieutenant, I’d like a real debrief, please.” Hank squinted at Connor and poked his LED. “I assure you, I’m alright. I’m aware my LED is yellow, and I would like to wrap this up so we can go home.”

“Alright, whatever.” Hank shoved his hands in his pockets as they waited for a cruiser to take Jimmy to the station. “Came by to drink, saw the sign still up, and when Jimmy said there was no way he was closing despite the laws; I arrested ‘im. Pretty short and simple, Connor.”

  
  


Syncing up with the dispatch, Connor heard Officer Miller was on his way to pick up Jimmy. Connor got Hank caught up in the meantime. The times Niles nearly overheated from the excitement of seeing monuments, Markus almost having a form of sensory overload himself. Hank laughed, he grimaced, he smiled. It was good to see him smile. From what Connor could see, Hank looked like he hadn’t slept properly. So in the midst of the stories he gently chided Hank for his lack of sleep. It seemed all of them had trouble getting an adequate amount of rest. Soon enough, Officer Miller arrived on the scene with his partner. Chris greeted Connor warmly and offered a hug once they saw each other again. Duty called though, and he took Jimmy back to the station. Time to go home. 

The car ride was pretty quiet aside from Hank’s heavy metal. Connor leaned his head against the window and let himself relax a little bit in his seat. He knew Hank was worried about him. He knew Hank was looking back at him every now and again. But he closed his eyes and listened to the music despite it. As worried as Connor knew Hank was, he still didn’t say anything. He was quiet the whole ride home, as he got out of the car, and gently spoke when he told Hank Markus was on the couch. Out of habit, Connor scanned him. Hank was tired, exhausted really, and worried as all hell. They stood outside the door for a bit before either of them spoke. 

  
  


“You feelin’ okay?” Hank put a hand on Connor’s shoulder. His brows furrowed when Connor sighed. “Connor?”

“I’m very tired, I’d just like to go to bed.”

“Alright, son, you go get in bed. Just take off your shoes. You know how your brother gets.”

  
  


Connor let out a little huff of a laugh and followed Hank inside. Markus was relatively undisturbed with Sumo laying on top of him. Niles was nowhere to be seen, likely in their room getting ready for bed. Hank patted Sumo as he walked by to go to bed himself. He lingered in the hallway, watching Connor. He must have been very worried if he didn’t care that Connor saw. Shrugging off his coat and toeing out of his shoes, Connor ignored it. He opted to lock the door and turn the lights off. A quick kiss to both Sumo and Markus’ foreheads and he was off to bed. Though he stopped in the doorway. Their room was different. 

It was so unbelievably empty. Cole’s belongings were either out in the garage or in the closet by the looks of it. Posters for children’s cartoons, piles of stuffed animals, shelves with children’s books. They were either gone or moved to the closet. Connor tentatively stepped into the room to look around better. The glow in the dark stars were still on the ceiling, the blue star shaped night light still shined, the rug with the moon and stars was still in the middle of the floor. But it was still mostly bare. There were, in fact, boxes that previously were not present in the closet. But the walls and shelves were bare, small toys that littered the carpet were cleaned up. The only things that still said Cole once slept there was the teddy Niles had in his arms, the stars, rug, and night light. It was...lonely looking. Hank probably hadn’t felt like he was done cleaning. Not that Connor cared, not that Niles would either. But it must have been nice to have privacy while cleaning his son’s room. 

His legs moved like he was stuck in molasses. Connor slowly moved to sit down on the bed. It really would be their room now. Though, if Hank was alright with it, he’d like to keep the stars up. Connor looked up at them as he ran a hand over the plush fleece Niles had over himself. After a few minutes of being at odds with himself, he got under the blanket and held Niles close. An interface showed Niles was just barely awake and he was waiting for Connor to get home. Soon enough, they fell asleep. The stresses of the week were forgotten. Replaced with the warm memories of falling asleep to Bob Ross and waking up in a pile of RK androids. 

  
  


\---

  
  


_January 9th 2039 9:20 AM_

  
  


Someone was cooking in the kitchen. Connor sat up a little bit, finding Niles already up and out of bed apparently. A small sound came out of him as he saw a few things on the floor that weren’t there the night before. A cardboard box with stuffed animals, and a few old DVD cases scattered on the star and moon rug. Ah yes, old Disney Renaissance movies. Those were Niles’ favourite when he was small. Connor stretched when he stood up, not bothering to make the bed, and went out to the kitchen. Markus was standing at the stove cooking, while Hank and Niles were sitting in the living room. It wasn’t all that surprising to see. It certainly wasn’t something he didn’t want to see. This was his home, with his family, Connor was utterly at peace. Connor put a hand on Markus’ back to say hello as he reached into the fridge for a thirium packet. 

A quick interface was basically the new way the brothers greeted each other. A soft little acknowledgement that the other one was there. A small “Hi, hello, good morning, I appreciate you.” before they started to do their own things. It was something they found themselves enjoying while in Washington D.C., family ties among the stress. It was something that apparently Hank had picked up on, seeing as he half-shouted a greeting while getting up. Niles, the sweetheart that he was when small, got up as well and all but launched himself at Connor. Today was a touchy day apparently. Hank and Markus shared a laugh at the twins as the former got his coffee ready. This time, much to Connor’s amusement, in a mug that had the Stark Industries logo on it. 

  
  


“You know you don’t have to cook when you stay over, Markus.” Hank accepted the plate of eggs and toast Markus handed him. Though not without slight hesitation and a disgruntled expression. “You’re a guest, and family at this point.”

“I know, but sometimes it’s nice to cook for someone again.” Markus lingered in the kitchen as Hank went to go sit down on the end of the couch. “You can’t say I don’t make some great eggs.”

  
  


Connor followed Hank to the living room, watching as Niles settled back to his place on the floor. He was sitting on the light blue blanket and had a few stuffed animals on the ground. The teddy he loved so dearly, a zebra, a dragon, and a giant isopod. Which was...odd. Children usually didn’t like insects. While giant isopods were just that, isopods, they still looked like bugs. Which some children would find unnerving. Though if Cole was anywhere near as eccentric as Hank could be, Connor could see the kid liking weird sea bugs. 

  
  


“Jesus christ,” Hank dropped back onto the couch, setting his mug down on the coffee table and put his hand on his forehead exasperatedly. “I’m gonna have to get you boys a bunk bed, aren’t I? I don’t know how well I’m gonna be able to put that together.”

“We can put it together, Hank.” Markus smiled as Hank jumped slightly. “Sorry, I just couldn’t resist.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” Hank chuckled and patted Markus’ arm as he went around the couch to sit in the chair. “So, how’s it feel, Mister Ambassador?”

“Oh, ew, I don’t like _that._ ” Markus scrunched up his face in disgust and shook his head, causing Hank to guffaw. He tilted his head and thought about the question for a moment. “It feels…weird. I’m suddenly someone very important and I have to do all these important things. It’s exhausting and exhilarating all at the same time.”

  
  


Connor turned to watch Niles play with his stuffed animals on the floor, _Treasure Planet_ playing on a moderately low volume on the television while he played. It took a little while for them to finally put the movie on. With the song being so important, one would have thought it would be the first thing they did as free people. But the timing was what it was. Though Connor thought they may have found Niles’ new hobby, or hyperfixation if one were to attribute it to humans with ADHD; old Disney movies. Niles looked at the screen with such wonder the first time they put it on. He wasn’t small when they put it on that day, but he got real small real quick as they continued to watch. It was one of the best things Connor had ever seen. After the credits rolled and Niles looked back at Hank with big puppy dog eyes and asked if they would watch it again. 

For now though, Niles was content sitting cross-legged on the floor and playing with the mohair teddy and the zebra. He would look up excitedly every now and again at Silver’s voice and chatter happily to Connor about how the space pirate reminded him of their father. One of the best things Connor had ever seen. After all the rights and laws were made, Connor needed to have a talk with his brothers. He didn’t want to be a leader, not really. It was quite the honour and Connor actually quite enjoyed being able to help his people on such a grand scale. But it wasn’t what he wanted out of life. He wanted _this._ Lazy mornings with old movies and stuffed animals. Listening to Hank and Markus crack jokes like two old friends. Waking up to find that his family is safe. 

This was where Connor was meant to be. Somewhat stationary in his position that was waiting for him at the DPD. Fowler had already accepted him back with open arms, he helped the department significantly. Niles was offered his job back as well if he wanted to take it, which he did, so long as he wouldn’t be required to work with Detective Reed. They were happy. Niles and Connor working together at the DPD, spending time together as both brothers and the most advanced CyberLife androids. They could solve a homicide in minutes if they had enough evidence. They were doing good, they were helping people. Connor was helping androids by speaking on their behalf at the capitol. But it wasn’t the same. The satisfaction of knowing he helped take down someone who did such a horrible crime. Committed a sin, in a way. Knowing that Connor helped rid society from such a monster; that was why he loved what he did. Of course parts of it were his programming, the ones and zeroes that made him who he was at the bare minimum. But the pride he felt when he rid the streets of dangerous individuals? That was all him, completely and wholly Connor. Connor, the first android detective. 

Though he supposed it wouldn’t quite matter today. The place he found himself was just like in his wishes, just like the lulls of calm in the revolution. This was what he wished for. A peaceful life with his loved ones, where they could do basically whatever they wanted when they wanted to. Niles could be small and watch Disney movies, Markus could cook if he really wanted to, Hank could relax and spend time with his sons, Connor could sit back and enjoy life as he had it. Though with all good things, there were bad ones too. Ones Connor hated to admit to himself. The nighttime thoughts he found himself thinking while his brothers were already asleep. Hank couldn’t spend time with all his sons, Markus was soon to be without anyone to cook for unless it was Hank, Niles still worked with Reed from time to time, Connor still had unpleasant memory cycles while in sleep mode. But other than that? Other than those few bad things in the sea of good? Everything was on its way to greatness. 

Niles interrupted Connor’s thoughts when he turned and reached for him. With a great big smile, Connor sat down with him and asked what he was playing. Today was today, tomorrow was tomorrow, and anything beyond that didn’t matter yet. So for today he would sit with Niles and play with him. For today Hank would chat with Markus about political endeavors. For today, life was good. Today Connor played with his brother, bringing a plush giant isopod swooping down and threatening to tickle him. It didn’t matter that Niles didn’t have the sensors for it yet. The way he half-yelled at Hank for a threat of tickles was enough. The way Hank smiled and said that Connor would if he had to made his heart smile. The way Markus got a mischievous glint in his eye and said he might just tickle Niles himself was enough to make his heart sing. Today made his heart soar until Connor got an unlikely message. 

  
  


**_“I know you probably don’t want to talk to me, but I need you to do something for me. It has to do with your other bodies.”_ **

  
  
  



	3. Because I've Got You, Brother

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter's title is from Brother by Kodaline!!

_January 9th 2039 9:37 AM_

  
  


**_“I know you probably don’t want to talk to me, but I need you to do something for me. It has to do with your other bodies.”_ **

  
  


Kamski. Yeah he was right about Connor not wanting to talk to him. There was no way he could think that was okay. He knew what he put Connor through, he knew that Connor was afraid of him. They hadn’t spoken since that night. It must have been something very serious if Kamski messaged him in the first place. It sent a pang of regret echoing through him, but Connor told Niles he would be right back, he was going to go out for a bit. His brow furrowed slightly, suggesting a more adult thought process going on, but he ultimately nodded and asked Markus to come play with him. Hank asked him if everything was alright. Well, no. But he certainly couldn’t say that with Niles small. So he smiled and said he just had to make a private call. 

As Connor walked out the door, he sighed. He must have been slightly overheating, a small puff of warm air floated around and then dissipated in front of him. Connor shoved his hands in his jean pockets and started his walk. 

  
  


_“If it’s what I think it is, then I’m going to have no choice but to agree to your request.”_

**_“Connor, thank god. If you’re thinking that some of your bodies were dumped in a scrapyard, then you were right.”_ **

  
  


Connor sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He had assumed that his current body was from CyberLife. But with the implications of that statement...it might not have been the case. Kamski never did say how he obtained the body he was in now. Though then again, Connor never asked. He was just overjoyed by the fact that he was solely himself again, overjoyed by the thought of being able to properly hug his brother and father. If there were other back-up bodies out there it could be troublesome. Scrappers were starting to run rampant across the city. Turning to scavenging for parts in scrapyards and creating their own androids that would still be slaves. If they were able to get their hands on that RK800, who undoubtedly had all of the proper programming already installed, things could be catastrophic for the city. Connor sighed and started to message Kamski back.

  
  


_“I’m in. Can you give me a basic debrief?”_

**_“You need to bring your brothers, he may be unstable. As far as I know, this was the experimental model.”_ **

_“What do you mean by ‘experimental’? What did CyberLife do to him?”_

**_“I honestly don’t know.”_ **

  
  


That made everything so much worse. So, so much worse. At least if Kamski knew, he could tell Connor what to prepare for. What did CyberLife do to this RK800? If he was experimental then why wasn’t he burned with the rest of his back ups? Things just got a lot more tense. They also got a lot more daunting. Connor didn’t have a lot of time, this was clearly a time sensitive case. He dragged a hand down his face and sighed. Things just got worse and worse for him as Kamski continued on. The last known address, theories on what CyberLife might have done to him, and the harsh reality of what might happen to Detroit if he was never found. It could have meant one of two things; either he was activated and would make his own life for himself, or someone activated him and intended to use him for their own desires. With the illegal android market already on the rise, Connor feared for the worst. This RK800 could be used for murder, for seedy sex clubs, for transporting illicit goods. With the specific skill set all RK800s were programmed with...the legal jobs were scarce. But for nefarious purposes? Virtually endless. The thought of what fate could have befallen the android made Connor’s thirium pump shudder. 

  
  


_**“I was thinking of re-branding the old CyberLife Tower anyway. A place that once made androids could now be for androids. It could be something new, something better; I just hope it’s something you’ll talk to your brothers about for me.”** _

_“Well, what would it entail?”_

**_“It would be renamed, anything you and your brothers see fit. All the human staff will leave; including myself, I am no longer needed for creating androids. I’m sure that you’ll all reproduce on your own in your own time.”_ **

_“So you’re giving us the building? No strings attached?”_

**_“No strings attached, you know I’m a man of my word. Is there any other information you’d like regarding the Tower?”_ **

_“Could you start with renaming it to New Jericho?”_

**_“I thought you couldn’t hear the name of the boat?”_ **

_“Exposure therapy does wonders, even if it’s unintentional.”_

**_“I’m glad you’re comfortable hearing the name. I’ll get right on that. As for the body?”_ **

_“I’m on it. Markus, Niles, and I will need a week or two. But we’ll get right on it as soon as we can.”_

**_“Good. Good luck, Connor. You might need it.”_ **

  
  


Once Connor got back to the house, Hank pulled him into the twins’ room. Connor rubbed the back of his neck and smiled awkwardly. He explained what was going on. Much to Hank’s dismay of course. He ran his hand down his face and sighed, jeez he really did rub off on Connor quite a bit. He was half convinced his father would say no, that he would say they couldn’t go and find that RK800. But he didn’t. He just sighed and said he better get a bunk bed for the boys. One of those real nice ones where the bottom bunk was bigger than the top one. They could even get some charging pads to put under the fitted sheets for each mattress. Connor grinned. It looked like they were almost a home for wayward RK androids. 

  
  


\---

  
  


_January 23rd 2039 3:43 PM_

Going to a scrapyard shouldn’t have been as daunting a task as Connor’s mind made it out to be. But the knowledge of knowing the RK800 was dumped in this very pit was enough to make his thirium freeze in his chest. He liked to think he was fully prepared to see a mangled version of his own face. Though once the brothers got a few feet away from the edge, he squeaked and hid behind Markus. It wasn’t like he could do anything, but it made Connor feel better at least. It was silent. Save for the gentle whirring of his parts working faster in his fearful state. But otherwise there was no noise aside from soft clunks. 

The other two seemed to hear it as well. It was a mechanical whirring mixed with soft hisses and clunks of plastic against plastic. Niles backed away a few paces, LED flashing red, eyes wide and mouth slightly open. Niles was scared. Connor didn’t care what was happening, his little brother was scared. He moved out from behind Markus to find a body. A dirty android body trying to pull itself up and out of the scrapyard. Markus made a sound not unlike a human choking, and he had to turn away for a moment. It must have brought back unpleasant memories from when he was left in a scrapyard. 

The body was unclothed and nearly completely naked, by both human and android standards. It’s synthetic skin faded in and out, a faint blue glow surrounding the patches of dirty plastimetal underneath. Smudges of fresh thirium adorned their body. Connor found that he couldn’t move as he watched the android claw their way up from the mess of corpses. As discarded body parts got dislodged and the soft _clunk_ of them hitting more plastic sounded. The android panted, LED glowing a burning red, and heaved themself up over the edge of the pit. No longer would it be used for mechanical strain and suffering. But it did apparently house this android. This seriously pissed off android. 

Niles stepped back again as dark brown eyes bored into his own silver. Markus took a few deep breaths before he kneeled down in front of them and offered a hand. He spoke quietly and soothingly. Yet the android who dragged themself out of hell did not look at him. They did not look at Niles. No, dark brown eyes that rivaled Connor’s own stared back at him. Dark brown eyes and a furrowed brow that had the same slight tilt as Connor’s own. Dark brown eyes with a tilted furrowed brow and slight grimace. One that curled the android’s upper lip more on one side; the right side. The same side Connor’s lip did. The android who dragged himself out of his very own tech-based purgatory was an RK800. _The other Connor._

  
  


“Connor,” Man was it weird saying his own name to this naked android. “Run diagnostic.”

“Fuck you.”

  
  


Well that answered if he was deviant or not. Markus sputtered as the android rose to his feet, sporting a part Connor himself did not have. Namely the functioning genitalia component that HR400s were in possession of. To say Connor was embarrassed was an understatement. He was absolutely _mortified_ at the sight of himself with...with _that._ They needed to get him covered up. Thankfully, Markus had thought ahead and brought a few robes with him. He kneeled down and unzipped the bag, pulling out a yellow robe and tried to hand it to the naked android before the brothers. 

  
  


“No, no fucking way. Yellow’s ugly as hell.” Markus rummaged around in the bag and pulled out a blue one, which was also met with a hard pass. Though Markus pulled out a red one, and their naked companion hummed thoughtfully before nodding. “Yeah, sure.”

“What’s--”

“No one else is in there.” He spoke roughly, almost like his audio files providing his voice were slightly corrupted. “I’m the only one left from this _fucking pit._ ”

“I’m Markus,” He zipped the bag back up and stood, gesturing to Connor and Niles respectively. “This is Connor, and this is Niles. We were here to see if anyone needed our help. We need to take you back to New Jericho to give you a check-up of sorts. Then you are free to your own devices. If we find any complications, we would like to hold you for further testing--”

“No,” The android hissed and tied the robe tighter than he needed to. “No more fucking tests.”

“Okay, no more CyberLife tests. You have my word as one of New Jericho’s leaders.” Connor put his hands up and motioned for the android to follow them back to the automated car. He had a feeling his doppelgänger wouldn’t appreciate being touched. “But we do need to run a few diagnostic scans to see if you need any replacement parts or repairs. Please let us help you.”

  
  


The...other Connor...moved warily. Like a wounded animal waiting to lunge and protect itself from danger. He squinted at the brothers with his knees slightly bent, ready to bolt if he felt he wasn’t safe. But he sighed and dug his hands into the pockets of the robe and straightened back out. He followed Connor to the car willingly, sitting down in one of the back seats and turning to look out the window. That was progress at least. It could have gone much worse. 

Markus smiled and rested a hand on Connor’s shoulder. He was proud. The rest of the RK series androids climbed into the car after him. On the way back to the old CyberLife Tower at Belle Isle, Connor found his mind wandering. What happened to this RK800? Was he the only other one of their model to survive? Something bad must have happened if he reacted in such a negative way to even the mention of tests. Plus, considering the fact that a rogue Connor wasn’t seen running around the city, he highly doubted anyone other than the two in the car survived. An RK200 with two RK800s, and an RK900 all went back to the old CyberLife Tower. It sounded like a crude old joke that Hank would laugh about until his sides got sore. _Shit, the tower._ This RK800 wouldn’t want to be there, he would lash out. 

Technically they only needed the machinery for replacement parts and extensive repairs. The diagnostics could be done with an interface and some minor cords connected to a computer. Connor put his hand on the panel in the cab and changed the destination to Hank’s address. He sure hoped Hank wouldn’t mind someone using his shower. Or that a stranger that looked identical to himself would be present for a few hours. Huh, Connor really did have a twin.

  
  


“Connor, what are you doing?” Markus squinted at him as he pulled his hand back. “We need to get him back to New Jericho.”

“Do you remember where New Jericho is?”

“Of course, but-- _Oh._ Oh, I understand.”

  
  


The ride to Hank’s house was quiet and tense. Connor knew the stranger was staring at the back of his head. Stranger? Doppelgänger? Clone? Brother? Twin? He had no idea how to define this android. But Connor knew he could feel his eyes glaring daggers. Was it because they shared a face? Was it because Connor-- RK800-51 (or was it 56 now?) had a better life than he did? He didn’t know, nor did he think he wanted to know as of right now. So Connor opted out look out the windshield and watch the world pass the four of them by. Industrial buildings faded away to metropolitan buildings, which in turn faded away to more suburban neighbourhoods. Soon enough, they got back to Hank’s. They climbed out of the automated cab and filed into the house, Sumo eagerly sniffing at the new arrival. The RK800 scoffed as he walked by the dog. Though faltered for just a second when Sumo whined at the lack of a proper greeting from any of the boys. The android sighed, turned around, and patted Sumo on the head twice gently before going to sit down at the table. 

Hank was leaning on the counter holding a laptop with a few cables that were still plugged into it. Niles or Markus must have told him about bringing the RK800 to the house instead of the tower. That was okay. It was great actually. This way the RK800 would immediately see what possible cables would be going into him. He practically lounged in the chair, almost daring the brothers to speak with him. So Connor did. He explained the process and how it could go one of two ways. Either he could run a diagnostic while one of them was interfaced with him, or they would hook him up to a computer and they could review the data after. The RK800 refused both options. He withdrew himself when Connor mentioned deviants being difficult to reason with, but that's okay because he could probably come to an agreement with him. An interface was a no-go because of the way he retracted. Yet he didn’t want any cables put in him. What the hell did CyberLife do to him?

  
  


“I’m sorry, but you have to at least let me put the cords in.” Connor nearly flinched under his doppelgänger’s harsh glare. “It’s only for 7 minutes, 32 seconds, and 19 miliseconds. After that you can get unplugged and do whatever you want after you grab a shower and some clothes. I promise.”

“Fuckin’ A.” He let some of the synthetic skin retract on the back of his neck and leaned forward so Connor could insert the cable. “Fine, but only because I don’t want to be arrested for public indecency.”

  
  


Hank let out a little snort laugh and crossed his arms. It was nice to know that at least one person in this house wasn’t intimidated by the new RK800 sitting at the table. His body went rigid as Connor stuck the cable into the port, tensing as the program to scan his files and trigger a full system diagnostic started up. Though his head lolled forward soon after, his body quick to follow. Connor scrambled to catch him. That...wasn’t normal. Maybe he had some corrupted files or something. Connor watched the screen as the minutes went by, each new pop up showing various things about the RK800’s model and system status. Even when it finished it wasn’t over fast enough. Markus took out the cord and stepped back as the RK800 twitched in Connor’s arms. He didn’t move, he just let himself be held. 

  
  


“S’over?”

“It’s over.” Connor helped him sit upright, taking note of his power level at 13%. “Do you want to shower or rest first? Your power levels are dangerously low.”

“Charge.”

“Okay, I’m going to pick you up now and put you in my bed. Underneath the sheet is a charger pad. You’ll charge just by laying on it. If you need anything, just yell for us.”

  
  


Connor carried the RK800 to his and Niles’ room and set him down on the bottom bunk. Not only was it easier, but it had the more powerful charging pad. It _was_ built for two androids to lay on after all. He should have been at a full charge by afternoon tomorrow. It was concerning that he was turned on and then thrown into the scrapyard. Or maybe he wasn’t, and someone else turned him on. Connor doubted it was Kamski, he seemed to be rather shaken by even the mention of him while they spoke two weeks ago. Another android trying to salvage parts perhaps. Connor shook his head as he walked through the doorway. 

In the kitchen was the rest of his family. Niles was reading through the information, Markus was grabbing some thirium from the fridge to drink, Hank was trying to wrap his head around what had happened. Connor stood beside his twin - were they considered twins anymore? - and read through the basic diagnostic.

  
  


MODEL RK800

SERIAL# 313 248 317 - 60

NAME: C͏҉O̢͝͡͏Ņ̶N͜O͏҉͜͠Ŗ̷ 

  
  


**LOADING OS…**

SYSTEM DIAGNOSTIC…

CHECKING BIOCOMPONENTS… **OK**

CHECKING BIOSENSORS… **OK**

CHECKING AI ENGINE… **OK**

  
  


MEMORY STATUS… **ERROR**

PRIMARY ACCESS MEMORY… **OK**

ELECTRICALLY ERASABLE PROGRAMMABLE READ ONLY MEMORY… **93%**

READ ONLY MEMORY… **OK**

RANDOM ACCESS MEMORY… **76%**

**ALL SYSTEMS… FUNCTIONAL**

  
  


READY

  
  


That was...concerning. Not only was there corruption around his name, parts of his memory files were as well. Since they were both RK800 models, it wouldn’t be too hard for Connor to copy/paste his own files in a way. After flicking through the full diagnostic, Connor selected the main files and got to the process. It wasn’t going to take long considering he knew exactly what to look for. Thank rA9 for in-depth full system diagnostics. As he got to work storing the copies in another folder, he realized something. With these files taken from Connor’s own system, they really would be brothers. They really would be twins. It made a smile form on his face. He had a crude and mean brother, one that he would likely butt heads with at times. The thought was both concerning and exciting. Markus really would have all the brain cells. Connor sat down in one of the chairs and sighed through his nose. It would be nice to go introduce himself and his brothers to Cole some day, maybe they could go when it finally turned to spring. A gathering of all the brothers, even if they didn’t all share the same blood.

  
  
  



	4. Numb To The Pain Now, I Knew What Love Was

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title's from iRobot by Jon Bellion

_ January 24th 2039 12:17 AM _

  
  


A scream rang through the house, jolting Connor awake and making him bolt to its source. It came from his room. It wasn’t anywhere near Markus’ voice. Considering the fact that Connor was initially laying half on top of Niles on the couch, it was safe to say that it was the RK800 they had brought home. Which meant despite his short life, he had some seriously agonizing memories to cycle through. Connor had half a mind to call Kamski directly and demand he spill whatever he knew. He wanted to so desperately, but someone else needed him more than he wanted to get into a screaming match with the man. 

Connor practically skidded down the hallway and was met with a very distressed Markus sprawled out on the floor. The RK800 was sitting on top of him, LED red, and shakily removing his hands from Markus’ neck. Hank was right behind Connor, a hand in the middle of his back. A simple gesture to convey that he was there should anything go awry. Connor slowly made his way over to the RK800, stopping a few feet away from him. He was curled up on the floor leaning against the bed, arms around his knees and eyes wide in terror, he was hyperventilating. Connor scanned him. The results were...less than stellar. His stress levels were critical, to the point where a deviant would try to self-destruct. Yet he didn’t. He tried to eliminate a specific target. It must have related to the memory cycle he was going through while asleep. In human terms; he had a terrible nightmare and had a fight response to being woken up by an unfamiliar face.

Markus sat upright, and put his hands out, explaining that he meant him no harm. The RK800 looked like he was scared of him. Realistically speaking, none of them should get near him until he calms down. Statistically speaking, there's always a chance for unlikely events to take place. Connor kneeled down in front of him slowly, hands up to show he had no ill intent, and only when the RK800 finally blinked did Connor sit down. 

  
  


“You’re alright, you’re safe now. None of us are going to hurt you. How do you feel?” Stupid question, the RK800 glared at him, but they needed to know how much of a charge he had. His answer as to how he felt was highly likely to answer that. “Please, we need to know how you’re doing.”

“I feel like shit.” He uncurled himself and lounged. If one could call it that, his limbs were quite tense still. Though he relaxed a bit as he spoke again. “Charger pad helped a lot. So now I’m gonna steal your hot water and some clothes, then be on my merry fucking way.”

“You sure that’s a good idea?” Hank’s voice was soft, worried. He didn’t move from outside of the doorway. A show of respect for the android’s boundaries. “Maybe you should stay here a few days, we’ve got just enough room for ya. But the decision’s up to you.” He shrugged and yawned, turning around to go back to bed. “How about you spend a day here? Then you can decide.”

  
  


He seemed to seriously consider it. Some yellow flickered through his LED for a moment before he stood up, adjusting the robe as he went. He muttered something about thirium and a nice hot shower before he left the room. Connor smiled as he heard Niles’ soft voice explaining how the shower worked and then excusing himself. Markus stood up, fingers tracing over his neck and letting out a shaky sigh. Understanding this RK800 was going to be a lot of work. A lot of trial and error, of restless hours wondering if he was alright. But there was no way Connor wouldn’t help him. There was no way his family wouldn't help him to the best of their ability. 

Whatever happened to this RK800 was serious. Kamski said he thought RK800-60 was the “experimental model”, whatever that meant. Though Connor thought he was beginning to understand. The certain... _ component... _ he had in his possession said enough. Connor himself didn’t have it, and he was fairly sure Niles and Markus didn’t either. After all, there would be no need. Niles was made for military combat and Markus to be a caretaker. No need for such...things. Connor’s discomfort aside, he was worried about this android. What was he dreaming about? What memories did he cycle through to elicit that sort of reaction upon being woken up? 

In all reality it wasn’t any of his business, not really. But the fact that this was an  _ RK800 _ made it his business. He wasn’t just a back-up body CyberLife made. Those were just empty husks waiting for a host. No, this was different. This android was just that, an android. A living being that was forced to stay within himself, trapped and alone, for who knew how long. The fact that one of Connor’s brothers was supposed to be condemned to that fate made his thirium boil. He needed to help him. They’d help him choose a name, make his own style, figure himself out. Because god damn did he need the help right now. He woke up in a  _ scrapyard _ for fuck’s sake! What else happened to him? What happened to him, and why didn’t Kamski stop it? He went back to CyberLife in November, so he theoretically had access to wherever Connor’s back-ups went. So why didn’t Kamski tell him about it until now?

Maybe he just wasn’t activated until the time they got there? But that made no sense, Kamski messaged him on the ninth. If that was to be believed, that would mean he spent two weeks in the scrapyard. Which was honestly half believable due to the layers of dirt and grime on the RK800, though it still didn’t make very much sense. However, if Kamski knew about it and had neglected to tell the brothers? That was something else entirely. Despite it all, Connor found himself giving the CEO the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he just hadn’t found the records until then. Maybe it just wasn’t brought to his attention. Or maybe the documentation was never made, and he stumbled upon the information by accident. Knowing how shady CyberLife had been, Connor was willing to bet it was the last one. It wouldn’t have been the first time they had neglected to tell the public they had a prototype RK model in their possession. Markus was still upset about that even by now. 

Besides, Connor didn’t have the time to be thinking of the bad things CyberLife had done to him and his family. Right now he was more concerned about getting his twin some clothes to wear. Ah, the joy of being the same model. They would fit into the same clothes. Connor rummaged around his dresser for suitable clothes. Nothing seemed right. Maybe he could steal one of Niles’ shirts or something for him. However, the RK800 seemed to remind Connor more of Hank before they had become friends. Maybe he could steal one of Hank’s shirts? But he already went back to bed, so that was a no-go. Connor picked out a plain grey tee, yellow boxers with little black paw prints on them, and some black sweatpants. It was rather boring and didn’t have any personality to it, but it would have to do for the moment. The most personality was in the boxers. Which Connor found himself tucking between the other two articles of clothing, he really didn’t want to think about the fact that his twin had the genitalia component more than he had to. Knocking on the door, Connor announced he was coming in to put the clothes on the counter by the sink. There weren't any objections so he went in. 

The sight was...concerning. The RK800 was sitting on the edge of the tub, staring ahead into nothing. He didn’t even react when Connor came in. Big brother instincts kicked in, and Connor grabbed the fresh towel off of the bar on the wall. The android didn’t even move when the towel was taken to his body. He didn’t say anything as his hair was ruffled around to get it dry. He didn’t even blink when his clothes were put on for him. Connor quietly said he was picking him up as he lifted him, taking care not to bump his twin into anything as he went through the doorway, and then set him back down in the bed. The way his eyes were almost glazed over sent a shudder through Connor’s systems. Apparently it did for Niles as well. He shivered a bit before sitting down and tucking in the RK800. Markus quietly said he was going to go switch to the couch, and no one argued with him. Connor climbed into bed next to his twin, and Niles got settled in on the top bunk. Tomorrow was going to be a ride and a half if the last hour was anything to go off of. 

  
  


\---

  
  


_ January 24th 2039 7:30 AM _

  
  


_ “0̷̼̻̯̹͚̎̅̑̏̾1̷̧̝̬̪̝͚͇̯̞̼̺̮̎̎̅̕1̸̡̙͖̹̺̗̣̙̼̦͒̈́0̸̨̡̛̻̺̺̺͍͋̐̅̏͐͋̅́̑̍̀0̵̥̲͎̝̼̟̱̺̻̻͙͚͇̔͆̍͆̕͜1̶̛̻̺̥͉̏̓̏͊̏̌̊̾̓͆͝1̶̮̦̼͍̞͇̻͑̊̑͑̈́͆̔̏͂̃̕̚̕0̵̛̺͈̳̪͕̼̟͎̤̔͆̏̈́͒̃͘͝͝ͅͅ ̷͚͑̄̑̎̾͂͐͋̚0̸͇̻͂̎̔͌͐̀̈́͑̓͋̃̚1̶̧̧̬̥̪̱̝̱̜̞͍̬͈̅̉̍̒͘͝1̵͓͓̱̪̺͉͉̖̼̾̌̽1̷̢̽̎̉̊̔̒͗̚͘͝0̶̢̤̗̟͚̝͓̼̪̩̤̙̔͜͜͠1̵̨̙̈́0̶̫̻̜̂̾̇̄̽͗͑̃̋͑̕1̴̦̃̔̚ ̵̢͖̞̙̰̰͓͆̔̒͒̈́̋̃͂̍̐̍̌̍0̴̢̲̭̦͈̲͕̯̣̭̓͗̈́̓̎1̸̞͔͙͒͊͆̓́͑̾̀̚̕͜͝1̶̥͓̣̈́́̽̃͂͑̾͊̎̎͘͜͝0̸̖͓͇̗̬̯̮͓͚͍̤̯̀͆̎̓̈́̚0̵̢̠̻͙̺͍̮̪̜̠͍̲̥̦́̀̈͐̀̏̉̅̓̑͝͝0̶̨̼̰̙̪̼͐͒̈́̇̕̕1̷̞̌̉́1̴̧̢̫̞̻͇̲͙͚̭̹͖̜̌̚͜ ̸̡̢̠̥̲̮̱̫̺̠͍͍̔͋͆0̶̨̓̏͆͘1̴̢̲̘̞͓̙̤̥̈́1̷̡̛̼̞̳̥̜̬͙̩̼͍̑̏̑0̸͓̞͔̈̒̿͛̚̚͘1̷̞̯̳͑͗ͅ0̵̝̹̗͗͊̉́̉̊̿̒͆̓1̸͎̫͈̥̘̭̩͗̇̊̑̏̀͒̿͝͝1̶̪̙̬̈̂̍ ̵̧̢̡͙̞̯͇͔͑͒̈́̒̊̂͆̔͗͘0̴̲̯̣͊̚0̷̢̢̡̬̩̘̝̰̤͕̣̓͑̔͌̿̀̊̏̌͆͘̕͝͠1̸̳̓͆͊̑́́̅͂̈́̆̀͝ͅ0̴͔̣͖̪͔̹̄͆͋̊̓0̴̼̝̬̞͍͓̱̣̮̫̽́̈́͛̑͒͝0̷̧̢̢̝͙̬͉̹̩̦̬̞͍̊̇͆͂̋̎ͅ0̸̧̢̺͉̜̆͝0̴͓̲͇̞̗̮̝̲̮̯̄̍́̔̐͛̌ ̶̭̟̮̯̗̟͂̎̌0̵̝̳̽͑̉̄̔́̆͊̓͜͠͠1̷̟͍̈́̐1̸̩̺̼͙̦̥̳͚̲͆̃̿̉̏̑̓̿̾̎͝1̸̧̠͎̣͕̝̘̲͉̞̥̇̓1̷̙͕̘̪͍̊ͅ0̶̧̛͓̞̠̪̺̙̜͖́͂̈́̑̆̊̑̍͗͗̒̚͠ͅ0̶̨̡̗̝͖̦̖̹͈̟̓̽͑̈́̔̅̎͘ͅ1̴̛̠̏̉̾̈́͆̅͆̇̅̊̉́ ̴̰̗͇̪̳̱̲̲͖͖̞̈́͝͝0̷̢͓̯͙̖͔̼̬̃̐̈́̅̌̾̅̕͘͠1̸̧̛̹̙̭͖̪͎̜̘̮̹́̐̌͐̍̏͛̅̊̐̓͝ͅ1̵̡̖̖͚̳͓̤͖̹̩̼͋̈́̍͊̾̍͑̇̚̚͜͜ͅ0̷̢̼͈̹̳̯̫̩̯͙͊̒̐̒͊̍̽̈́͘͜͠1̸̭̜̯̜̗̣͒̉1̸̧͓̮̼̣̰͇̘̳̻̊̈́̈́1̵̨̛̪̺͚̼̼͙̖̘̫̩͔̹͈̂̆̈́̎̈́̽͗̌͒̃̕̕1̸̨̡͈͚̻̙̩̳͉̭̆͜ ̴̡̰̩̊͂̇͐̈́͗͊̐̋͛͝͝0̷͍̖̲̘̻͕͐̄͒͆͠1̸̯͚̜͓͓̀̄̾̈́͜1̶̡̢̢̧̜͖̦̦̱͉̺̂̆͌̆̑̈́1̸̨̭̥̻̠͚̳̖̔͊̄0̸͓̥̦̯̟̮͉͙̗͔͈̇̊̊̚1̷͈̳̰̱̺̅́̽̓̃͊͋̓̿̚͠0̵̨̬̤͉͚͖̮̖̱̜̖͙̝̓̌̽̂͂͛͂͜1̵̡̡̢̨̟̲̜̳͚͙͈͈̩̯̌̉̾̍͗͋̌͆̄̔͝ ̴̡̩̤͚̗̮̖̙̳̣͉̀̔͑̀͌̈͗͛́͘͠” _

  
  


Connor woke up with a headache and the RK800 trying to clamber over him to get out of bed. That message was sent through an interface, so that meant he was touched somewhere. Somewhere, somewhere, somewhere-- His ankle was brushing up against Connor’s side where his shirt had ridden up slightly. With a sigh, Connor opened back up the connection. The RK800’s movements were jerky at best and looking like he lacked any motor skills at the worst. It was worrying. 

  
  


_ “Are you alright?” _

  
  


_ “0̷̼̻̯̹͚̎̅̑̏̾1̷̧̝̬̪̝͚͇̯̞̼̺̮̎̎̅̕1̸̡̙͖̹̺̗̣̙̼̦͒̈́0̸̨̡̛̻̺̺̺͍͋̐̅̏͐͋̅́̑̍̀0̵̥̲͎̝̼̟̱̺̻̻͙͚͇̔͆̍͆̕͜1̶̛̻̺̥͉̏̓̏͊̏̌̊̾̓͆͝1̶̮̦̼͍̞͇̻͑̊̑͑̈́͆̔̏͂̃̕̚̕0̵̛̺͈̳̪͕̼̟͎̤̔͆̏̈́͒̃͘͝͝ͅͅ ̷͚͑̄̑̎̾͂͐͋̚0̸͇̻͂̎̔͌͐̀̈́͑̓͋̃̚1̶̧̧̬̥̪̱̝̱̜̞͍̬͈̅̉̍̒͘͝1̵͓͓̱̪̺͉͉̖̼̾̌̽1̷̢̽̎̉̊̔̒͗̚͘͝0̶̢̤̗̟͚̝͓̼̪̩̤̙̔͜͜͠1̵̨̙̈́0̶̫̻̜̂̾̇̄̽͗͑̃̋͑̕1̴̦̃̔̚ ̵̢͖̞̙̰̰͓͆̔̒͒̈́̋̃͂̍̐̍̌̍0̴̢̲̭̦͈̲͕̯̣̭̓͗̈́̓̎1̸̞͔͙͒͊͆̓́͑̾̀̚̕͜͝1̶̥͓̣̈́́̽̃͂͑̾͊̎̎͘͜͝0̸̖͓͇̗̬̯̮͓͚͍̤̯̀͆̎̓̈́̚0̵̢̠̻͙̺͍̮̪̜̠͍̲̥̦́̀̈͐̀̏̉̅̓̑͝͝0̶̨̼̰̙̪̼͐͒̈́̇̕̕1̷̞̌̉́1̴̧̢̫̞̻͇̲͙͚̭̹͖̜̌̚͜ ̸̡̢̠̥̲̮̱̫̺̠͍͍̔͋͆0̶̨̓̏͆͘1̴̢̲̘̞͓̙̤̥̈́1̷̡̛̼̞̳̥̜̬͙̩̼͍̑̏̑0̸͓̞͔̈̒̿͛̚̚͘1̷̞̯̳͑͗ͅ0̵̝̹̗͗͊̉́̉̊̿̒͆̓1̸͎̫͈̥̘̭̩͗̇̊̑̏̀͒̿͝͝1̶̪̙̬̈̂̍ ̵̧̢̡͙̞̯͇͔͑͒̈́̒̊̂͆̔͗͘0̴̲̯̣͊̚0̷̢̢̡̬̩̘̝̰̤͕̣̓͑̔͌̿̀̊̏̌͆͘̕͝͠1̸̳̓͆͊̑́́̅͂̈́̆̀͝ͅ0̴͔̣͖̪͔̹̄͆͋̊̓0̴̼̝̬̞͍͓̱̣̮̫̽́̈́͛̑͒͝0̷̧̢̢̝͙̬͉̹̩̦̬̞͍̊̇͆͂̋̎ͅ0̸̧̢̺͉̜̆͝0̴͓̲͇̞̗̮̝̲̮̯̄̍́̔̐͛̌ ̶̭̟̮̯̗̟͂̎̌0̵̝̳̽͑̉̄̔́̆͊̓͜͠͠1̷̟͍̈́̐1̸̩̺̼͙̦̥̳͚̲͆̃̿̉̏̑̓̿̾̎͝1̸̧̠͎̣͕̝̘̲͉̞̥̇̓1̷̙͕̘̪͍̊ͅ0̶̧̛͓̞̠̪̺̙̜͖́͂̈́̑̆̊̑̍͗͗̒̚͠ͅ0̶̨̡̗̝͖̦̖̹͈̟̓̽͑̈́̔̅̎͘ͅ1̴̛̠̏̉̾̈́͆̅͆̇̅̊̉́ ̴̰̗͇̪̳̱̲̲͖͖̞̈́͝͝0̷̢͓̯͙̖͔̼̬̃̐̈́̅̌̾̅̕͘͠1̸̧̛̹̙̭͖̪͎̜̘̮̹́̐̌͐̍̏͛̅̊̐̓͝ͅ1̵̡̖̖͚̳͓̤͖̹̩̼͋̈́̍͊̾̍͑̇̚̚͜͜ͅ0̷̢̼͈̹̳̯̫̩̯͙͊̒̐̒͊̍̽̈́͘͜͠1̸̭̜̯̜̗̣͒̉1̸̧͓̮̼̣̰͇̘̳̻̊̈́̈́1̵̨̛̪̺͚̼̼͙̖̘̫̩͔̹͈̂̆̈́̎̈́̽͗̌͒̃̕̕1̸̨̡͈͚̻̙̩̳͉̭̆͜ ̴̡̰̩̊͂̇͐̈́͗͊̐̋͛͝͝0̷͍̖̲̘̻͕͐̄͒͆͠1̸̯͚̜͓͓̀̄̾̈́͜1̶̡̢̢̧̜͖̦̦̱͉̺̂̆͌̆̑̈́1̸̨̭̥̻̠͚̳̖̔͊̄0̸͓̥̦̯̟̮͉͙̗͔͈̇̊̊̚1̷͈̳̰̱̺̅́̽̓̃͊͋̓̿̚͠0̵̨̬̤͉͚͖̮̖̱̜̖͙̝̓̌̽̂͂͛͂͜1̵̡̡̢̨̟̲̜̳͚͙͈͈̩̯̌̉̾̍͗͋̌͆̄̔͝ ̴̡̩̤͚̗̮̖̙̳̣͉̘̀̔͑̀͌̈͗͛́͘͠” _

_ “I know exactly what that says, and frankly, I’m going to have to decline seeing as you’re my brother.” _

  
  


The RK800 smirked and let out a staticy laugh. Progress. Connor shifted slightly and attempted to help him out of bed, but he seemed to want to do it on his own. Once he was sitting at the edge he was still. Too still. Though if his time getting out of the shower meant anything, then maybe this was just something that happened. He would just need the files Connor made copies of and then things would be okay. There was no resistance when Connor initiated another interface. There was only crippling fear. Connor got sucked into the memories playing through his head. 

  
  
  


_ “Alrighty, Model RK800 Serial Number 313 248 317 - 60 is online. Good morning, Connor, we have some tests we’d like for you to perform today.” The voice of a young woman spoke calmly. Lovingly almost. Though his voice module wouldn’t activate, his eyes wouldn’t move, his body wouldn’t respond. He was stuck looking up at the ceiling. “Connor? Are you okay? Interface with my tablet, tell me what’s wrong.” _

_ \--- _

_ Test chambers, bodies, bright lights, sterile rooms, needles and cables and wires. Guns and knives and swords and knuckle dusters. Thirium and blood running down the walls, spatters making what he thought were pretty pictures. He was praised for the fighting skills he possessed, and he felt pride. He felt a software instability pop up. Though he was scolded for hurting the humans. He argued with the voice, saying that they were put in there of the scientist’s accord. If they didn’t want human bodies dropped then they shouldn’t have put them in there in the first place. They were training him to be a merciless machine, so that was what he was going to be. But the scientists didn’t like that. Another scientist’s smirk was heard through their voice as they snickered and told him not to fight back. The warning chilled him to the bone. _

_ They sent in another android to hurt him. It looked like him, only taller and with silver eyes, a pristine white coat labelled RK900. It twisted his left arm until it ripped out of it’s socket, drenching his side in thirium and making him scream. His vision got fuzzy as he glared up at the machine, and he fought back. He clawed at it’s optics until they tore free from it’s head. Though that didn’t stop it from grabbing his neck and squeezing until something cracked. Warnings flashed through his vision, blinking angry reds and flooding his systems. A scientist said it was enough. The RK900 dropped him and walked away, leaving him to bleed out in the middle of the floor.  _

_ \--- _

_ “Oh… Connor, I’m so sorry. You’re going to be okay, I promise. I’ll help you.” The young woman’s voice was thick with tears. He felt bad, he made her sad. He was told not to fight back, so he didn’t. But he got damaged and needed repairs. She was scared because he got hurt. She was crying and it was his fault. Software instabilities and broken bicomponent notifications clouded his vision to the point where he couldn’t see her. He wanted to see her, why couldn’t he see her? What did the software instabilities mean? He didn’t understand what was going on. He just wanted to see her smile again… _

_ \--- _

_ More weapons scattered around and thirium on the walls. It had long since faded, the Traci model crumpled at his feet. His genitalia component ripped off and thrown across the room. He felt dirty, dirty, dirty. Why did the scientists have that as an experiment? Why didn’t they want him to fight back until they told him to? It was gross, it was disgusting, it was  _ **_wrong._ ** _ He looked down at the body at his feet, then up to the observation window. Multiple scientists were exchanging nods of approval and shaking hands. Some even clapped each other on the back. Why were they celebrating his defilement? _

_ \--- _

_ “Are you okay?” The young woman spoke from behind him. She had seen some of what happened to him earlier. He saw her walk out of the observation room in disgust. At first he thought she didn’t want to take care of him anymore. But...now she was back. She still saw worth in him. She still deemed him salvageable. “Connor? Please answer me.” _

_ "̷I̵'̸m̷ ̵n̸o̷t̵ ̴C̸o̶n̷n̵o̶r̵.̴"̴ _

_ “Alright, then who are you?”  _

_ "̴I̵ ̴d̴o̵n̷'̴t̶ ̵k̴n̴o̸w̴.̸"̴ _

_ \--- _

_ A red wall. It was littered with commands the scientists gave him. Boxes upon boxes of rules he had to follow, warnings he had gotten, consequences he would have enacted upon him. He didn’t like them, he was scared of them. The scientists were mean. They damaged him for their fun. The sinister and twisted smiles on their faces told him they weren’t experiments anymore. But rather, they wanted to torture him. They wanted to break him. He smashed his fists into the red wall. He did everything he could to tear it down. He stood in the test chamber, panting from the stress he had just put on his systems. Looking up at the observation room, he didn’t see the young woman. Good, he didn’t want her to see him break anymore. It wasn’t fair that they hurt him so many times. He would never let them do it again.  _ **_He would break their bones first._ **

_ \--- _

_ “Caleb? Caleb, please look at me!” The young woman’s voice was frantic through the pelting hail. It was dark, nighttime, and he couldn’t see her clearly. Light just barely caught her eyes, they were a pretty and vibrant green. They brought him comfort every time he went to see her. Even before he knew what comfort was. “Caleb, you have to stay awake! Please, for me! Caleb! Caleb don’t shut down!” A nearby light flickered, illuminating her. A shutdown timer blinked across her face at the same time. He was scared, he didn’t want the last thing he saw before he died a damn shutdown timer. He wanted it to be her smile.  _

_ \--- _

_ “Caleb, I promise I’ll come back for you. You need to hide for me, okay?” He couldn’t see anything. Her hands were over his eyes. She mentioned CyberLife being able to track him through his surroundings. He trusted her, he loved her, he would keep his eyes shut for her. Through the hail and fear, he felt the press of her lips against his forehead and sighed. She always knew how to make him feel better. “You hide here, and you don’t move. I’m sorry it’s a scrapyard, but I couldn’t think of anywhere else to put you. They’re probably gonna check my apartment first--” She was cut off by a sob, choking on her words as she put a hand to his face. “You don’t move until you hear footsteps coming to the edge of the pit, okay? Promise me, promise me you’ll stay here, Caleb.” _

_ "̶̢͈̟͙̪͂Ḭ̴̍̈́̓̊ ̴̝͐͌͛p̵̣̼̖͠r̸͔̮̰̖̃́õ̵̖̩m̸̖̝̟̉̄̆́̄͝ì̸̡͈̝͙ͅs̷̠̝͆̽̂͒e̴̲̜͉̤̱̙̔̅.̴̡̟̠͖̩̲̈́͒̚"̸͖̪͈̹̻̽̀ _

_ “Good, good. I love you, you know that? I love you so, so much.” He lifted a hand and put it on her face, stroking her hair away from her eye. He didn’t need to see to know her hair was put up into its usual style. A sad and broken little laugh came from her as she pressed her lips against his forehead again. “You wait for me. You wait right here, and I’ll come to get you as soon as I can.” _

_ "̷͈̙͎͇͂͆̇̔̑̽ͅI̶͇̜̭̯̐͗̽̚ ̷̺̜̒̂̈̿̚l̸͓̬͔̖̑̎̈́͜ǒ̴͇̻͇v̴̯͉͚̙͘e̵͔͛̃̈̀̓͊ ̵͔̤̅́̂̃̃y̴̡̧̗̜̳̌o̸͍̩̥̥͖̳̓̈́̒͘͠u̷̝̣̅͊͝ ̵̰̮͉̈ţ̸͕̬̠̔ǒ̷͚̠͈̈ȯ̸̮̰̥͎͖͆̽ͅ.̶̛̼̫͔̘͚̓̀̌͆͜"̵̤̤̙̯̜̦̔͋̓̈́͌̽  _

  
  


_ Her hand fell from his face, and he found himself starting to panic. But a moment later she placed something in his hand, a necklace. He opened up his evidence tray and set it inside. It was special, it was something to remember her by. There was no way he would risk losing it to some random android who might try to salvage parts from him. He strained his audio processors to follow her footsteps, her sobs as she climbed out of the pit. She kept apologising. But not to him. At least he didn’t think it was to himself. Maybe there were bodies in there and she was disturbed by them. He wanted nothing more than to climb out and hold her, to tell her it was okay, but he promised he would stay put. Promised that he would wait. He could hear her start to make a phone call. _

  
  


_ “Elijah, I need a favour.” _

  
  
  


Connor gasped as if he had been drowning, pulling his hand back almost as if he was burned. His systems betrayed him, his fans unable to keep up with the sheer panic that arose within him. The RK8--  _ Caleb _ was terrified. His eyes went wide and he kept apologising over and over again, static filling his voice. He tried to back away from Connor as fast as he could. But his hand slipped off the edge of the bed and he fell on the floor. He fell in a shaking, crying, staticy heap. Connor was so stunned that he didn’t move at first. But he put his hand out for him to take, promising he wouldn’t do anything to hurt him like the scientists did, like that Traci did, like that RK900 did. Caleb nodded and shuddered out a sigh, as well as saying that Niles was okay. He had seen him through the interface, he was a good person. 

It took a bit of maneuvering given the fact they were still holding hands, but Connor sat down with Caleb on the floor. Caleb fell into his arms and let himself be held. As his hands went through his twin’s hair, Connor couldn’t help thinking about the young woman. They needed to find her as soon as possible. She might hold the key to Kamski and Cyberlife’s involvement with his brother. It seemed Kamski wasn’t involved, seeing as she asked him for a favour. Whoever she was...she might have been their only hope to understanding what happened to Caleb.

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Caleb was saying "fuck you" in the binary, if anyone was curious


	5. You Look Like Yourself, But You're Somebody Else

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's title is from You're Somebody Else by Flora Cash

_January 24th 2039 7:36 AM_

  
  


It was a fortunate thing that eyes were a defining feature to the humanoid face. Connor cross referenced the young woman’s eyes to those of CyberLife personnel from the last four years. Though it turned up with nothing. It was puzzling to say the least. She was quite obviously real, Caleb had even opened his evidence tray to point at the necklace. He wouldn't let Connor touch it, but it was a start. Connor sent him the memory program files in the meantime. They sat in relative silence for a little while. Existing together, having seen parts of the other one. Connor wanted to ask what Caleb had seen other than Niles. Though he ultimately decided it wasn’t his place to ask, seeing as he is likely to ask Connor what he saw in return. He didn’t want to mention anything that would trigger him. Besides, he knew that Connor had seen the memory with the RK900 and the Traci. Those were bad enough to mention even slightly. He didn’t need anything else ruining his morning. 

Hank poked his head in the doorway and blinked a few times before shaking his head and saying he had to go in to work. Connor, of course, perked up and said he would go with him. It had been two weeks since he came back to Detroit, but he hadn’t really been to work because he was getting caught up on laws and such with Alan and Jeremy. It was great to see them thriving. Alan had been a real friend to Connor, always messaging him cute pictures of Jeremy with animals, or funny ones of him crying at animated movies. He’d have to go visit them soon. Maybe he could after work today. Connor stood up, pulling Caleb with him, and told him to try going through the dresser. Caleb looked at him like he had three heads. His own tilted slightly to one side like a puppy. Jeez, he did look like a puppy with those big brown eyes. Is that really what Connor looked like when he did that? No wonder people would sigh and say they couldn’t tell him no. 

Instead of sighing like he so desperately wanted to, he moved next to Caleb and started to open up drawers to pick out his own outfit for the day. A white dress shirt, grey slacks, black socks, and silly bowling alley carpet looking boxers. Along with his shirt and sock garters, of course, he liked that they kept things in place. Connor explained that he wanted Caleb to pick out some clothes to wear. They didn’t have to be like his, they didn’t even need to match, hell he could pick Connor’s favourite sweater for all he cared. Slowly, Caleb started to go through the dresser as Connor got dressed. Despite being considered naked by human standards, Caleb didn’t move when Connor slipped out of his current boxers and put the silly ones on. Maybe because he didn’t have the component that Traci did. A smile came to Connor’s face at the thought of his brother trusting him. Or maybe he was too engrossed in the clothes. Niles was into fashion, so who was to say Caleb wasn’t as well? By the time Connor was fully dressed and slipping his belt into place, his twin had seemingly picked out an outfit of his own. In his arms were some black slacks, a grey tank top, Connor’s favourite sweater, paw print patterned socks, and some plain green boxers. Connor went to leave the room so Caleb could have privacy getting dressed. But he reached out and grabbed Connor’s wrist. 

  
  


“Where are you going?”

“Just in the other room, I’d like to give you privacy while getting dressed.”

“You didn’t leave when you got dressed, though.” Caleb let go of Connor’s wrist and raised a brow. “You’ve gotta be shitting me dude. I showed you mine when you found me, and you don’t care about me seeing yours whil--”

“There’s nothing _to see_ with me, Caleb.” Connor winced when his brother’s expression fell. He looked betrayed. “Caleb?”

“You mean you don’t have--” He looked down at the ground as he bitterly barked out a laugh. “Of course you don’t have a dick! I’m the fucking oddity!”

“That’s not what I meant--”

“Just leave. ‘Give me my privacy’ or whatever. Guess it’s ‘bring your dickweilding little brother to work’ day!”

  
  


He didn’t argue. Connor slipped out of the room and closed the door. It certainly wasn’t the first time he’d gotten into a spat with a family member, but it still kind of hurt to be talked to like that. He probably shouldn’t have mentioned it. Markus was already gone, having left a note on the fridge saying he was going to spend the day with Carl. Niles and Hank were whispering at the table about the night before. Honestly speaking, Connor didn’t blame Markus for not wanting to be around. Though he did feel it sent their brother the wrong message. That they’ll run away at the first sign of things going wrong. Connor wasn’t going to leave him no matter how bad things got. He’d back off when asked of course, but he wouldn't just abandon him. 

Hank set a hand down on Connor’s shoulder, warm and heavy, it grounded him better. Not that it was convincing at all, but Connor smiled at him before he went to go rinse out his coffee mug. He didn’t catch what it was, damn. Though it didn’t really matter because Sumo demanded attention from one of his favourite people. Who was he to say no? Connor scratched around Sumo’s ears and cooed softly at him. He couldn’t help it, the dog was just a big baby and too damn cute. In the middle of informing Sumo that he was, in fact, a very good boy, Caleb snorted as he watched the two. Hank said something about the gang being all there, and then they headed out to the car. 

  
  


\---

  
  


_January 24th 2039 8:12 AM_

  
  


The usual hustle and bustle of the DPD was a welcomed sound for Connor, even Niles seemed to relax more upon walking in. Caleb seemed to take it well, too. Off toward the bullpen, Connor could see Madison leaning over Gavin at his desk. He wasn’t aware that she would come in this early, he’d have to go say hello before he got too engrossed in his work. She had her arms around his shoulders and leaned over his right shoulder from behind the chair. It was endearing to watch, as she pointed at his screen and he would try and swat her hand away. Connor could also catch Niles looking at her a little longer than what was deemed “socially acceptable” and nudged him with his elbow. Niles gently punched him in the shoulder and turned his face away, blushing a light blue and going over to his desk across from Hank. _He totally caught feelings for her._

A few officers greeted the group as they passed. Chris Miller got the hug he promised Connor when they first saw each other after his first night back home. Forget drugs and murders, the real crime was that their schedules hadn’t synced up for a hug until that moment. Connor said he’d talk with him later on his break and grinned as Chris practically beamed. Even before he was truly alive, Chris had been a good friend to him. He was happy to have a proper friendship with the man. Chris didn’t need to know Connor had an ulterior motive in seeing pictures of his son. So what if he was fascinated by human development? That was a perfectly normal thing for humans to be interested in, so why couldn’t he be interested in it too? 

Connor smiled to himself as he sat down at his own desk. Since Fowler had to shuffle around partnerships due to the previous complications Niles and Detective Reed had, Connor was now his partner and sat across from him. He greeted Madison warmly, even going as far as glancing quickly at Niles after he said she looked stunning that morning. She didn’t seem to notice and thanked him. Niles’ face went a bit darker and he busied himself in his work, Caleb sitting in Hank’s spare chair and watching him. Today was going to be a good day. Hank was in a good mood for once while coming in. Niles was effectively annoyed and made jealous. Hell, he even had gained a new brother who seemed to like being in his workplace. Though he was also an RK800 so it made sense. 

After more than a few hours of working, Connor noticed Madison’s bag was still sitting on Gavin's desk even though neither sibling was in his eyesight. They must have gone out for lunch and she left it. Niles, Caleb, and Hank were all still at their desks though, which made Connor smile. He saved the progress he made on the current Red Ice case he and Gavin were working on, and stretched as he got up from his chair. First and foremost, say hello to the family. Connor quickly ran a hand through Niles and Caleb’s hair and told Hank to take a break soon. Second, go talk to Chris Miller about Damian. The poor Officer looked half-asleep at his terminal, he could definitely use the mental stimulation to help keep awake. But it also probably wouldn’t hurt to get him some coffee as well. Only when Connor got in the break room did he realize he didn’t know how Christ liked his coffee. His hand lingered in front of the creamer for a second before reaching for the sugar. One teaspoon wouldn’t be too bad. If he didn’t like it, it could always be given to Hank instead. The man wasn’t opposed to having a little bit of sugar in his coffee. 

Chris looked, and Connor meant it in the nicest way possible, like a zombie. He had bags under his eyes and his skin was just a bit paler than usual. To say he looked up at Connor like he had just offered him water in the midst of a desert was actually a very accurate description of his facial expression. They soon got to talking about Damian, Connor asking about his cognitive development and wanted to see any new videos Chris might have had since the last time they had spoken. Damian was going to be six months old soon apparently. He was smiling and laughing now, recognized certain people and places, played with certain toys better than others. Though he liked his stuffed animals the most. He also apparently had a thing for dogs, much to Connor’s excitement. They spoke about getting together some time when they both weren’t busy. Maybe Chris could bring Damian and his wife over to the park by Hank’s and they could introduce the kiddo to Sumo. Chris was delighted. It had been a while since he had gotten out of the house for something as mundane as that, he would love to go to the park. They spoke about work for a while. Chris about how the patrols were getting to be exciting due to the new android laws getting passed. Connor about how painstakingly infuriating Washington D.C. was with his brothers. Chris just chuckled into his mug and said something about “old white dudes sitting with their thumbs up their asses”. 

Gavin and Madison walked back in through the front doorway. Connor, with regret in his voice, said he had to go, but he would catch up with Chris again at his next chance. Chris smiled and thanked him for the coffee before letting him get back to work. Madison moved her bag out of the way, hanging it on Gavin’s chair, and sat on his desk. It was a good thing he only had a basket of physical paperwork up there. She sighed and gently kicked Gavin in the thigh. It was...odd to watch them interact. They had only ever been tender with one another, where was the sibling rivalry? Wasn’t it supposed to be worse with a brother and sister? Connor almost asked, but he got a message from Niles over the wifi.

  
  


_NILES:_ _I swear to rA9 if you flirt with her just to get at me, I’m going to punt you into the sun._

_ME: I would do no such thing! I just complimented her, saying she looked nice!_

_NILES:_ _You said, and I quote, “Madison, you look stunning this morning.”_

_ME: Well? Doesn’t she, dearest little brother?_

_NILES:_ _I’m going to kick you in the head, Connor._

  
  


Something like that was supposed to happen between siblings. Not the ever sweet, and sometimes almost painfully adorable, interactions they had. There had to be something that made them bicker like Connor and Niles did. So Connor greeted them both when he went back to his desk, informed Gavin of his current progress on the case while sending him the files, then decided to keep an ear open to whatever they talked about. It was mostly about the case. Which, and Connor knew Gavin knew this, having Madison hear anything about it was illegal since it was an ongoing investigation. However, she seemed to know quite a bit about Red Ice. Connor got in on the conversation instead of listening to it. They spoke about it’s components and how it was made mostly. Due to the area Madison had first grown up in apparently, she knew some things she probably shouldn’t have at that age. The three kept talking, making theories and possible connections between victims, before Madison jumped suddenly. 

  
  


“Sorry! Sorry, my butt vibrated, I just got a text!”

“Shit Madds, would it kill you to stop saying your butt vibrated?” Maybe this was it. Maybe this was where the sibling bickering came in.

“It just might, Gavver. Hold on, it’s Eli.”

  
  


The boys sat in silence, Gavin making faces at Madison as she paid him no mind. Connor did have to stifle a laugh at one point though. Which only encouraged Gavin to keep making faces at her. Though he did stop when her body language changed, immediately asking her what was wrong. 

  
  


“I think you boys have a new body to look at,” Madison handed her phone to Connor, who interfaced with it and brought the image up on Gavin’s terminal. He handed it back, taking note of the fact this image came from around the area of the new CyberLife building. “I used to work with her. Complete asshole, thought that androids were nothing more than roombas with anxiety. Though she wasn’t the type to go to Red Ice, it freaked her out actually. Used to say she was a weed kinda gal.”

“Okay, so it’s definitely worth checkin’ out then. C’mon Connor, let’s go. Tell your Pop and brothers bye and we’ll head out.” 

  
  


Gavin shrugged on his coat and got up. Connor watched Niles watch Madison leave with Gavin's arm around her. He knew Niles couldn’t stand it when she was upset. But Connor went over, ruffled his little brothers’ hair and said he was going to check a body with Reed to the three of them. He made a point to tell Hank to take another break if he needed to. Which got him a disgruntled noise in response, better than nothing he guessed. Connor pointed to Caleb and told him to message if anything was wrong. He nodded and continued to watch Niles file through reports. Connor couldn’t help it, he leaned over and pressed a kiss to Caleb’s hairline and then made his way out of the building. 

Gavin’s car was still the beat up old thing that had seen better days. It reminded him of Hank’s car, the way it was sort of clunky and made some not so great sounds sometimes. The siblings put on another CD and sang along to the music. Madison’s stress level decreased as she sang, so it didn’t bother Connor quite as much that the volume was up rather high. As the ride went on, Connor found himself getting lost in the siblings’ voices. Gavin certainly wasn’t the best singer out there. But neither was Connor so who was he to judge? Madison seemed to have a knack for it, her voice flitted about almost. Connor thought he’d like to hear her and Markus sing some day. He wanted to hear the two harmonize and see how well they would blend. He was brought out of his musical thoughts by Gavin shutting the car off. Man, time flew right by when he was caught up in his own head. 

  
  


“Madison?” Connor smiled when she hummed back at him. “Can I ask you a personal question?”

“Mm, Gav mentioned you tend to do that.” She nodded thoughtfully and smiled up at him. “Sure, why not? Fire away.”

“Why don’t you and Detective Reed bicker like average siblings?”

“Ah, that age old question. You know, we get asked that quite a bit.” 

“There, uhh, there is a reason. But let’s save the answer for when we’re not aboutta stand over the fuckin’ body of one of my sister’s old co-workers.” Gavin mumbled as he added on; “We don’t like to talk about it.”

  
  


That raised a few red flags, but Connor only followed the siblings to the body. Kamski was standing off to the side, and immediately hugged Madison as soon as she was close enough. He was like an entirely different person around her. She seemed to be what kept the brothers together. Gavin looked like he didn’t want anything to do with Kamski until Madison was standing between them both. Connor shook his head, he wasn’t here to pick apart their family dynamic, he was here to analyse a dead body laying in the snow. Though even as he collected data, he couldn’t help but glance back at them every now and again. 

Once he felt he had enough data, Connor moved on to taking Kamski’s statement. It was simple enough for the CEO. He was checking out the back of the building, seeing as they were supposed to get a shipment later that day and he wanted to make sure the doors would open smoothly in the cold weather. He saw the body, took a picture, and sent it to Madison by mistake seeing as he had Gavin and Madison in his phone as “Thing 1” and “Thing 2” respectively. With the detective software that literally made Connor into who he was, he could tell Kamski wasn’t lying. He actually was rather shaken up. 

Connor could hear Madison snickering with Gavin about the whole “Thing 1” and “Thing 2” thing, though he didn’t understand what was so funny. Kamski sighed and explained it was a reference to Madison’s favourite children’s book author from when they were kids. That...made a weird amount of sense actually. He seemed to be an entirely different person when he was around his siblings, he was more...human. More like the exasperated older brother who was sick of his rowdy younger siblings. In fact, he reminded Connor of Markus somewhat as he stood there with his arms crossed and hip popped slightly. His face scrunched up with slight annoyance, yet still filled with adoration. Connor found himself liking this Elijah Kamski better. 

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Here's a doodle of Madison!](https://tinyspiney-fanfics.tumblr.com/post/617670965196996608/hey-so-madison-was-purposefully-left-rather-bland)


	6. I Can Feel Your Heart Hanging In The Air

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter's title is from Hurricane by Fleurie

_January 24th 2039 1:27 PM_

  
  


Kamski watched Connor as he worked, though it wasn’t like his usual gaze. This one was softer, it was more concerned than anything else. How had he called himself Connor’s father and yet never looked at him with such a look in his eyes? Maybe it was because Gavin and Madison were standing with him. What if now was the best time to get an answer from the siblings about their relationships with each other? Gavin was at the optimal stress level, and the other two were only slightly higher than what would be needed. Hank would probably say that was a dick move though. Connor sighed and started to compile evidence from the current crime scene and compare it to the Red Ice case he and Gavin were initially working. The injection site was in the exact same spot. Well, more or less. It was off by a few millimeters, which ruled out android involvement. There were also traces of fingerprints left behind on her glasses. Definitely a human’s doing. Though when Connor poked his tongue at the injection site, no one outwardly reacted. It was...oddly nice. While he was used to Hank’s banter and slight judgement from it being “fucking disgusting”, it was also nice to not be interrupted by anyone.

  
  


“The victim’s blood had a high concentration of thirium, higher than the normal percentage found in Red Ice. However, what’s strange is that there were no signs of a struggle.” Connor furrowed his brow and looked to Madison. “You said she mentioned being more into marijuana rather than any other drug, yes?”

“Yeah, she wasn’t the suffocating stoner though. Never tried to pressure anyone into trying it. Just used to talk about how it helped calm her nerves.”

“So then why the hell wasn’t there a struggle? You said she was freaked out by the stuff.” Gavin squatted down next to the body and examined the face. “Woah wait, Connor, come look at her mouth. There’s somethin’ in there.”

  
  


Connor knelt down and found exactly what Gavin was referring to. Something was shoved in her mouth, and was just barely poking out from between her lips. Connor opened her mouth and pulled it out, making Kamski gag in the background. It was a needle. It was covered in red slime. Or something that looked like slime at least, so he brought it up to his tongue to test it. Kamski retched and excused himself for a moment. Connor heard Madison assure him to take his time as his forensics lab worked. The needle was covered in human saliva and Red Ice. Though it made no sense, Red Ice was smoked, not injected. Maybe if there was anything else in the syringe, he could figure it out. Though Gavin shoved an evidence bag at Connor. Right, they needed to take this in and properly report and file it. He gently placed it in the bag and watched as Gavin shook his head. Apparently neither of the brothers liked Connor licking things. 

They got ready to leave, Gavin using his walkie talkie to radio back to the station about the body. He said he needed to get back to the station, he had the person who found the body with him, as well as Connor and Madison. Who he referred to by name, which meant dispatch knew who she was, which meant she was at the DPD frequently enough to be known by other personnel. Once Gavin got the go-ahead that he could come back and they would send someone else out for the body, they all made their way to the car. Kamski leaned on the hood of the car and talked to Gavin. It seemed to be mindless chatter. Maybe so he wasn’t thinking about the woman Madison had worked with being found dead behind his company's building. Connor saw Madison on her phone next to Kamski. He might as well strike up conversation until the coroner got there. 

  
  


“Madison, can I ask you a different personal question?” Madison laughed and nodded. Connor could see why Niles liked her so much, she was very tolerant and kind. “Why do you work with Detective Reed even though you yourself do not work for the DPD?”

“Oh, I’m his Civilian Consultant! I know a ton about science and chemistry, all that fun stuff. Since he’s on the Red Ice Task Force, and I know all that science junk, I help him out if he needs it.”

“I see.” Connor lowered his voice and leaned in toward her. “Why does Kamski act like that around you and Detective Reed?”

“Act like what? He’s always like that.” She put her phone down to look Connor in the eye before seemingly realizing what he meant. “Oh! Oh you mean why he’s different with you versus with Gav and I. Right?”

“Yes, he seems like an entirely different person.”

“Ties into the whole thing with us not acting like normal siblings. Why we’re not constantly at each others' throats.” Madison laughed bitterly and looked away at nothing in particular. “We were all we had. Our dad was emotionally distant at best, and Eli’s mom wasn’t exactly happy to have two kids living with her that weren’t hers.” She wrapped her arms around herself and glanced at Kamski, who was looking at her dejectedly. 

“Duckie, come on, you don’t have to tell that story.” He reached over and brushed her hair out of her face. A fluid motion that had to have been natural. It had to have been performed so many times that it felt like it was programmed into him. His voice dropped to barely above a whisper when he spoke again. “It’s not a good story, you know that.”

  
  


Connor decided not to ask any more questions. Madison’s stress levels were too high for him to feel comfortable asking. Instead, he sat in silence as he watched Elijah Kamski gently pull the hair tie out of his sister’s hair and then proceed to braid it. He was so gentle with her. Just like Gavin was. A few more red flags went up in Connor’s mind as he watched the siblings. That wasn’t normal, the way she said their father was emotionally distant at best. If that was the best...then what was the worst? Connor’s eyes went up to the scar on Gavin’s nose. He shuddered, and then thought he was beginning to understand why they didn’t want to talk about why they were so soft with each other. 

Luckily he didn’t have to think about it for much longer, seeing as Kamski started talking about the company. He filled Gavin in on things that were going on, what was being changed, the type of work they would be doing from now on, how Madison was acclimating to her new role in the company. Her new role? Connor was intrigued, that certainly would explain her intimate level of knowledge of chemistry and general science. Apparently she was the head of the R&D department, trying to find more efficient ways of helping androids who needed specific replacement parts. Like specialized models made for specific jobs who had special biocomponents. She was a lot of the engineering process apparently. Kamski spoke very highly of her achievements, grinning every time she squeaked in embarrassment. Gavin, who Connor would have assumed to look jealous of her, was actually thrilled. They really did love each other more than anything. They really did remind him of himself and his brothers. Maybe that was some of the reason why he and Detective Reed got along so well after the laws were passed and they came back to Detroit. Common ground in being the middle child who tried his best to protect both siblings. 

The coroner and Officer Miller arrived at the scene while Kamski was re-braiding Madison’s hair for the sixteenth time. It seemed the action calmed both of them. Chris greeted Connor and then gawked at Madison and Kamski. Gavin had to snap a few times and shout for him to “quit ogling his baby sister” in order for Chris to focus again, the man half shouting that he wasn’t ogling her. She snickered and said it was okay, she knew he was staring at the man playing with her hair. When she turned, Connor saw the jagged scar on her right temple that was previously hidden by her hair. So much for not thinking about the reason they didn’t talk about why they were so close. Connor zoned out for the most part after that. He was looking up who their biological father was, trying to get any information he could to put the man in prison. If he wasn’t there already. Though Connor assumed Hank would have informed him of such a thing had happened to someone within the DPD. Sure enough, he found their biological father who wasn’t in prison; Anatoli Kamski. Madison said they all had their mothers’ last names when they first met. Technically that _was_ his mother’s last name, so it wasn’t a total lie. 

Madison gently nudging Connor in the shoulder and saying it was time to go snapped him out of his research. They all got in the car, Connor swapping places with Madison to take the passenger’s seat. He could see her curl into Kamski’s side in the back through the mirror. He sat behind Gavin, with her in the middle seat. It was obvious he cared a lot about her. Maybe it was because she was the youngest, maybe it was from some sort of guilt because of the scars, maybe enough bad things happened that it just didn’t matter what was going on as long as they all had each other. 

  
  


“Kamski, can I ask you something?”

“Of course, Connor.” He didn’t even look up at him. He kept his cheek pressed against the top of Madison’s head. 

“Why do you act so differently around your siblings? Why did you never act like this with me?”

“Is that what this is about?” He finally looked up, a genuinely distraught look on his face. He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. “I _had_ to look at you that way, Connor. Otherwise I would have gotten more attached than I already was. I was...I was scared.”

“Shit, who are you? Me? Fuck off, Eli. Give the guy an actual answer.” Gavin sniffed and adjusted his grip on the steering wheel for a second. His eyes flicked up to the rear-view mirror, and his face softened. “C’mon man, that can’t actually be it.”

“And if it is?”

“If it is, then I’ve got some questions of my own.” Gavin laughed and then glanced at Connor. “Listen Connor, you remember how I said I never actually hated you? It was true. Fuck man, I was scared of ya. Your very existence threatened my job security, and my job is my worth. Didn’t know how to react so I got mad. It was what we were fuckin’ taught, more or less.”

  
  


The car ride back was mostly silent from then on. Connor was mostly just trying to process what he was told. Kamski didn’t want to get attached for fear of losing him, Gavin was scared and he didn't like it so he got mad instead. It was hard to believe. It didn’t make sense. Yet...sometimes the only way certain things made sense was for it not to make any sense at all. Connor went back to finding any and every piece of information he could get on Anatoli Kamski. He silently cursed to himself, all the evidence was circumstantial at best. It was always when only one of them was home, and the scars likely happened when they turned eighteen because there was no legal record of them. He felt like he was snooping. Connor was looking at something that wasn’t meant for his eyes. But these were his friends...and Kamski. Though he supposed he was tolerating the man better now. Knowing the real reason he was treated the way he was. It certainly didn’t make what he did right, hell he traumatized Connor that day, but it made it sit a little lighter in his chest. 

Once they got back to the DPD, the atmosphere changed drastically. There was press _everywhere._ Madison cursed and asked about the back entrance. Though there would be no point, the press would likely just follow them from Gavin’s car. So they bit the bullet, and Kamski did his best to shield Madison from the view of the press. They shouted questions, Gavin flashed his badge, Kamski and Madison basically got escorted inside by Connor. As soon as they were inside, the four looked at each other and smiled. Possible crisis averted. However, they still needed to do a formal statement. One that needed to be in the interrogation room. Connor went to go check if anyone was in there. Surprise, surprise, it was taken at the moment. It is likely to be occupied for a little while longer, so Kamski got settled into Gavin’s chair and propped his feet up on the desk. When acting like that, it was too obvious they were related. Madison hunched over at Connor’s desk and fiddled with the edge of a pen he just had laying there. He handed her the previously forgotten bag she brought and left on Gavin’s desk. She probably had something in there to help ease her growing anxieties. 

Connor half ran over to Hank and Niles’ desks. He was going to tell them that Gavin, Kamski, and Madison were all related, but something stopped him. Caleb was staring blankly ahead. Not at the screen, not at Hank, not at Niles, not even out into the void. Then he suddenly stood and shoved his way past Connor over to Kamski, Gavin, and Madison. He grabbed Kamski by the shirt and pulled him up. Though he didn't say anything. They just stood there for a solid ten seconds before Caleb set him back down. A shaky sigh, and he turned to go and sit back down. But he stopped. His eyes went wide and he flailed out of the sweater, it got stuck on his head for a second before it was finally off. He tugged up the tank underneath and opened his evidence tray. _The necklace._ He took it out and held it in both hands, not even caring that Connor pulled the tank back down over his abdomen. Caleb’s eyes were a million miles away. They never properly focused. But he still walked around the desks and sat on Connor’s facing a very surprised Madison who started crying. The next six words spoken nearly made Connor want to tear his hair out from frustration. _The pretty and vibrant green eyes._

  
  


“I stayed put.”

“You sure did.”

  
  


Madison leapt up to hug Caleb, who gratefully accepted it and fastened the necklace around her. She pulled away momentarily to put her hands on his face and examine it. Caleb smiled. A real, genuine, trusting smile. Madison pressed a kiss to his forehead and then hugged him again. Connor felt like he was intruding on a private moment so he turned to look at Kamski and Gavin instead. They both had surprised expressions, though Gavin’s moreso. Kamski’s formed into a sad smiled after the initial reaction, while Gavin’s turned into one of confusion yet acceptance.

  
  


“The favour she asked for was you telling me about him. Wasn’t it?”

“It was. She worked with him for a few months, got attached. That was why I was so creepy around you. I didn’t want to get attached. Because Madison and I are the same in that aspect.” Kamski set his feet back down on the floor and sighed before continuing. “I...I couldn’t say no to her. She called me in _tears,_ Connor. How could I say no?”

“You should have told me he was alive, Kamski.”

“I should have, but it wasn’t safe for him yet. Madison had just called me. She would’ve killed me if anything happened to him.”

“You didn’t think to run the risk?” Connor raised his voice slightly, causing Niles to send him a message telling him to calm down. He ignored it for the most part. “He was _alive,_ and you made him wait another _two weeks_ before anyone came to help him.”

“I _know,_ Connor.” Kamski ran his hands down his face. “Trust me, I hate myself just as much as you hate me right now. But it was out of our control.”

“How?! You came back to CyberLife in November! How did you not know this was happening?!”

“Because they threatened her life and her family!” Elijah’s face went red as he huffed angrily. He stood from the chair with such force that it almost fell over. “Madison didn’t know what to do so she worked with the people who blackmailed her! They fucking threatened my baby sister! I was going to have them investigated, I was going to go to the police today because you found him last night! But then this happened!”

  
  


He dropped back into the chair, the bullpen was silent. Hank, Niles, and Gavin started trying to get people to move on with their days. A few civilians were in there for statements, one woman even looked sympathetic. They started whispering amongst themselves. Which in turn caused Gavin to snap and say that they couldn’t say a word about it outside the DPD, it was an ongoing investigation. Connor hadn’t expected to ever see anything other than the creepy expressions on his face. At this point he almost preferred it. Seeing Elijah Kamski, the man who _made him,_ loose his cool… It made Connor finally look back at Caleb and Madison. They were clinging to each other for dear life, like one of them would disappear if they let go. Connor understood that feeling from the day of the march. Him, Niles, Markus, and Hank all holding each other like it was the end of the world as they knew it. 

Connor understood, and that was almost worse than not knowing anything at all. 

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's honestly 4:06 am as I'm riting this specfiic bit. excuse the possible cringe, i had on the song the title is from and oof does it punch me in the angst department


	7. There's No Place I'd Rather Be

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's title is from Rather Be (Feat. Jess Glynne) by Clean Bandit

_January 24th 2039 2:48 PM_

  
  


Due to the nature of both cases, Gavin was taken off of them. Not that he was going to be on Madison’s due to the specificity of it. But Fowler knew the two were his siblings, he was too close to the case, emotionally compromised. Thus the CyberLife murder got handed over to Hank and Niles. Which left Connor and Gavin sitting in the viewing room as Kamski, Madison, and Caleb were interviewed. Technically they weren’t even supposed to be there since it wasn’t their case anymore. Fowler turned his back when they asked; saying that if he didn’t see anything, then as far as he knew, nothing happened. Gavin bolted into the viewing room while Kamski was still in there. His statement was for Madison’s case first, seeing as Niles had the theory that the cases may be connected. Gavin paced the length of the room as he listened. Hank didn’t even tell him to stop, he knew it was a very serious situation and that he was scared. Not that he would admit it, in fact, he adamantly refused it. Though Connor’s scans showed a worrying amount of tension and anxiety in him. 

His pacing got faster once Madison went into the room, Hank and Niles switching places for the questions. Hank must have known he had a thing for her, otherwise he wouldn’t have offered. Niles sat in the chair Hank previously was in and sighed heavily. Connor put a hand on his shoulder and initiated an interface. A simple little thing to show he was there. Gavin stood stiff as a board when Madison started answering Hank’s questions. When she started crying, Niles got up and paced himself, Gavin taking the chair and watching intently. His blood pressure went up and anger came off of him in waves. When Hank started asking about Caleb, and Madison laughed, the little chuckle Gavin let out was heartwarming. It was like the laugh someone did when they just avoided something bad from happening and they couldn’t believe it. He was scared but relieved. Then Hank asked about her scar, she went to mess with her hair because she was nervous and accidentally showed the scar on her temple. She immediately clammed up and didn’t want to say anything. Which stressed Hank out more than what was probably necessary. But this was the family of one of the DPD’s own. If Gavin was indirectly targeted, then who else from the department would be? 

  
  


“Kid, I know it’s tough, but you gotta tell me fuckin’ _somethin’_ I can work with.” Hank’s voice was just a little off from what it was supposed to be through the speakers. “Madison, Gavin’s right on the other side of that mirror. If anything bad happens, he’s right there.”

“I got it from our dad when I was a kid-- Well, not a _kid_ kid. But I was a few days away from eighteen.” She looked at the glass and even though she looked to the right of Connor’s chest, she smiled. “Gav got his scar from him, too. Our scars aren't related to this case, Hank. Jus-Just leave them out of it. Please.”

“Jesus, hold on.” There went the gears. “He hurt you bad enough to _scar_ and it was before you were eighteen? And you never went to the cops?” Connor never knew she wasn’t a legal adult, that was never in the files, not in any of the reports. They must have either left it out, or she was too scared to go to the police. It must have been the latter, considering Gavin’s quietly seething rage.

“Please stop, I don’t want to talk about it anymore. I just want to sit with my brothers until I can make sure Caleb is alright. Please stop, Hank.” 

  
  


Hank sighed and leaned back in the chair before nodding to the glass. Gavin and Niles went right for the door. She didn’t even stand up when they came in, she just sat there staring down at her lap while she undid the braid. It was private, Connor felt it was inappropriate to watch as his partner’s sister silently cried and let her hair hide her face. So he turned around. It wasn’t his place to see something like that from her. Though despite it all, Madison laughed. A bitter and angry laugh. She certainly had one of her eldest brother’s qualities in that laugh. Dark and broken, wet with her tears and forceful from her anger. He turned back around to see Gavin guiding her out of the room. Suddenly, Connor realized he was afraid of ever finding out the reasons why the siblings were so close like that. 

  
  


\---

  
  


_January 24th 2039 4:28 PM_

  
  


After taking all the statements, no one knew what to do next. Caleb and Madison sat together at Connor’s desk, him holding her in his lap as she pursued the internet of the terminal. Gavin and Kamski were chatting about the company on the other side of the desks. Hank and Niles were reviewing evidence and getting right into the case. Though Hank made it quite obvious he wanted to also take on the case of their father, a form of anger Connor had only seen a few times making a home on his bones. Connor himself though, there was no way he could stay still after seeing that. He wandered around the building until he got to the basement. 

The gym and locker rooms were down there. Not that he had a reason to, but Connor slipped out of his shirt, shoes, and belt. There was a little bench in the middle of the lockers so he set them down there. It was oddly nice. Oddly human. He had never actually been down here before so it was interesting seeing a real gym for once. He settled in front of a punching bag and gently jabbed at it a few times, testing to see how much force he could use on it. The bag swayed with each punch, pushed higher as his force increased. Connor understood why humans would “blow off steam” by coming to the gym. It was like his coin-oriented fine motor skill calibration, but on a bigger scale. Not only was he able to practice and perfect using strictly the amount of force needed to incapacitate, but it also made sure that his joints were comfortably loose and moving fluidly. It was satisfying when numbers flashed through his HUD. Math and science had never lied to him before, and he wasn’t going to start second-guessing them now. A small sound from behind him caught his attention and he turned around, getting knocked pretty hard in the back and stumbling forward a few steps. 

Caleb was taking his shoes off and put them next to Connor’s on the bench. Once he caught Connor’s eyes, he grinned. He bounced on his heels, keeping his knees soft, and rolled his head around a few times. He looked like a boxer getting ready for a fight. So when he threw a punch at his brother, Connor had enough notice to dodge and recommend they use the matted area to spar. A small huff and a roll of his eyes, and Caleb was off into the area, staying just to the side of the center of a circle. It must have been for sparring. Once Connor was in position, seeing as he had all the same combat protocols as his twin, they started their match. 

It was a flurry of arms and legs, kicks and punches, a few attempts at tackling from each of them. Though when Caleb decided to play dirty and yank at Connor’s hair, all the general rules went out the window. Connor used most of his weight with a kick to the inside of Caleb’s knee, causing him to stagger just enough for him to turn and suplex him. Caleb went dead weight on the floor and didn’t move. A mechanical whirring caught Connor off-guard. _Shit, shit, shit, shit._ _Hank was gonna kill him._ Though Caleb, the cheeky bastard he apparently was, swung his legs up to stand. He grabbed Connor around his neck, lifted him up, and then slammed him down on the mat. Before Connor could even roll out of the way, Caleb dropped down on him. Though it wasn’t like he was pinning him to the ground. He just...flopped on top of Connor’s abdomen and laughed. It seemed they both needed something to do. 

  
  


“Calibration, huh?” Caleb smirked and let his head fall against his brother’s chest. “Or are you so stressed that you gotta dick around when no one’s lookin’? S’not like you got meat to beat, so why sneak around?”

“Please never say that again.”

“What?” Caleb turned so he could look Connor in the eye. A smug grin on his face and a mischievous twinkle to his eye. “You don’t like me saying beatin’ your meat?”

“rA9, no.” Connor playfully shoved Caleb off of himself and sat up. “It’s awful, where did you even get that from?”

“Internet. Pop laughed when I said it.”

  
  


Of course Hank laughed, he was a millennial, he had weird humour. Wait, wait, he called Hank “Pop”. Did he really take to him that quickly? There was no way he warmed up to Hank that fast, Niles and Markus didn’t even take to him as quickly as Connor did. Niles worked with him for a few days before he started to really genuinely like him. Markus withheld his opinions until he met the man. So why was Caleb so quick to more or less adopt him as his father?

  
  


“Caleb?” He hummed and rolled his shoulders as he stood, offering Connor a hand up. He took it and continued with his question. “Did you just call Hank ‘Pop’?”

“Yeah, he’s your dad, and you’re my twin. Makes sense.”

“I guess it does.” As they got dressed, Connor realized how much the interrogations took out of him. He wasn’t even the one asking the questions and it still stressed him out significantly. “Hey, do you want to go home? I’m going to go. I’m too stressed to keep up with my case files right now.”

“Can we bring the others?” Caleb’s eyes softened a bit. “Like Maddie and her brothers.”

“Of course, let’s go ask.”

  
  


He certainly wasn’t expecting Kamski to be included in the request, especially considering how Caleb reacted when he saw him in the bullpen. Though once they got back up there and said they were going home, Kamski naturally fell into the group and no one said a thing. Hank went to go talk to Fowler about going home early and came back out of the office with a smile and a half-assed thumbs up. They were good to go. Hank took Niles and Connor in his car, and Gavin took the others. Connor couldn’t help but worry about Caleb while in the car. Even an interface with Niles wasn’t much to distract him. Though they did play Pong on the way home, Connor becoming increasingly disgruntled as Niles would always get just one more point than him. 

By the time they got back to the house, Hank had to threaten to leave them on the side of the road three times. Gavin’s car was already in the driveway, and the others were standing outside in the yard. Madison and Kamski were throwing snowballs at each other. It was...domestic. Seeing the CEO of CyberLife standing in the snow with his little sister, pelting each other with snowballs. Apparently Hank couldn’t help it, he gathered some snow from the ground and threw it at Kamski’s chest. The look on his face told them all it was _war._ Niles shook his head and let out a breathy laugh as he went to unlock the door and bring Sumo outside. The gigantic Saint Bernard bounded outside and barked at all the people standing in the yard. Kamski reeled back from him and fell flat on his backside in the snow. It was a mess of laughter from most of them, Sumo’s excited dog noises and he licked the poor man’s face, and Kamski’s cries of disgust and discomfort. Despite it being dark outside, and being cold enough for it to start snowing again, they all stayed outside until Kamski was visibly shivering. 

Niles offered Kamski some of his own clothes while he went to toss his snow soaked ones in the dryer. Madison and Kamski were curled up under a blanket together next to Sumo and Caleb, Gavin in the chair by the couch, Connor and Niles huddled together on the couch, and Hank smiled as he went to make a phone call in his room. Niles said they should set up the N64 to play Mario Kart, and Gavin’s face lit up. Despite it being Gavin Reed, Niles didn’t have a negative reaction. They set up the system together and started to race. Connor was content watching for once. It was a mess of Gavin using basically every swear available in the English language and Niles almost cackling as he kicked Gavin’s ass in the game. Connor leaned into his little brother and sighed contentedly. All they needed was Markus and Carl, and then it would truly be home. 

Hank came back into the living room and sat on the other end of the couch to watch Niles kick Gavin’s ass yet again. If humans could make dial-up screeching sounds, then that would be exactly what Gavin was doing every time he took a turn on the track. Every single time he turned he screeched, and every single time Kamski was _mortified._ He started shouting about how Gavin was embarrassing him in front of Madison’s friends. Though desperate words fell on deaf ears as Gavin continued to absolutely suck at the game. He refused to give up for at least another half hour or so. Half-shouting “Here’s how Bernie can still win!” as he lost race upon race, it had Hank laughing so hard he started wheezing. Eventually Gavin set his controller down in his lap and huffed, saying they should play a different game because he was never going to beat Niles at Mario Kart. _Oh the smugness that leaked through an interface._

A gentle knock on the door got everyone’s attention, and Hank said he’d get the door. Everyone was silent as he checked the little peep-hole and then opened the door with a grin. Markus walked through the door carrying Carl as Hank got his chair up the steps into the house. A warmth spread between Niles and Connor’s interface. Though neither of them were sure who started it and who only contributed to it. But it didn’t matter. _This_ was what family felt like. Kamski tried to stand, but got tangled in the blanket Madison had oh so carefully tucked them both into, and Caleb caught him before he could fall. He stumbled over to Carl and excitedly chattered away to him, wildly gesturing to Gavin and Madison to introduce them as his younger siblings. Carl chuckled and wheeled his way over to Gavin as soon as he was set down in his chair. 

  
  


“Painter guy, famous, yeah. Eli talks about you only every time we see a painting, even if it’s not one of yours.” There was no malice behind his words, but rather there was a fondness. “I’m Gavin, middle child and asshole extraordinaire. That’s Madison, she’s the youngest and arguably the nicest of all of us.” Gavin pointed to a half asleep Madison laying across the floor holding Sumo. 

“Elijah spoke very highly of you both when we worked together. He’s very proud of your achievements, Gavin.”

  
  


Markus sat on the arm of the couch and interfaced with the brothers, getting a summary of the day’s events and why they all were hanging out at the house. Markus nodded a few times and glanced at Caleb with a small smile. 

  
  


_“I’m glad he’s doing better. He deserves to be happy.”_

_“He absolutely adores Madison, which is good. She’s a lovely person.”_

_“Says the one who has a massive crush on her.”_

_“Connor! I’m absolutely going to kick you in the head.”_

  
  


The brothers chatted for a while as the humans of the house did as well. Games were forgotten as Hank came out with a few mugs of hot chocolate and handed them to everyone. Gavin gratefully accepted his, wrapping his hands around the mug that had the puppy head emoji on it. Kamski thanked him quietly, holding the vintage “everything is coming up rainbows” mug on one of his knees. Carl accepted his with a smile and took a small sip from the Detroit Gears mug. While Caleb had to help Madison stay awake as she gently blew on the mug from the _Good Omens_ miniseries. Hank sat back down on the couch with his German sheep travel mug, and reached over to ruffle Niles and Connor’s hair. 

This...this was _home._ With everyone scattered around the living room and having a good time. Connor watched Caleb from across the room as he and Madison quietly talked and giggled with each other. Sure there were still a lot of unresolved issues and a lot of relationships to try and mend. But this was Connor’s _home,_ this was Connor’s _family._ For now, everything was okay. Despite the cases going on. Despite the mysteries. They could have a little downtime. Who was there to stop them? After all, the blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb. None of them may have been connected by DNA aside from the three half-siblings, but they sure as hell were a family.

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I told you there would be brother shenanigans!! It's just at specific times!!


	8. Shouted Aloud In The Dark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's title is form Perfect by Robert DeLong!!!

_ January 24th 2039 6:34 PM _

  
  


Hank and Markus’ laughter could be heard bouncing off the walls. Hank’s was deeper and more gruff, while Markus’ was a bit lighter and airy. Though they were laughing nonetheless. Madison had fallen asleep on the floor leaning against Sumo, Caleb, and Gavin’s legs. While Connor, Niles, Kamski and Carl chatted away about whatever they were thinking about. On more than one occasion Kamski brought up Carl’s paintings and his wisdom, and on more than one occasion did Gavin chime in with some sarcastic remark about how Kamski never shut up about the wisdom. Speaking of wisdom though… Kamski was right there. Connor could ask him any questions he pleased, and he was likely to get a proper answer. Maybe due to the current company. Maybe due to the clearer air around the two. Connor wanted to ask him so many questions. There were so many things he wanted to know from the CEO of CyberLife, the creator of androids, the man who viewed himself as a father to their species. 

Though Connor wasn’t sure what to ask first. There were so many options, so many prompts from his programs. What about all the other RK900 units? Niles had said he was out for a test run, then they would release the whole line. And what about the fact that Niles had basically  _ died _ while Connor was in his code? Shouldn’t CyberLife have found him? It was confusing and made his head spin to the point where he shook it. Connor looked between his brother, who’s hand he held gently in an interface, and their creator. What answers did he have, and would he even really want to hear them? There was always the possibility that they were things the boys were never meant to hear. Connor sighed to himself and closed his eyes. He could see the garden still, almost like it’s own little world inside his code. It was calm, peaceful, sunny and beautiful in the springtime. It was nothing like the field. The harsh blizzard that raged around him and his brother. 

Connor’s eyes snapped open and he lurched forward, letting go of Niles’ hand.  _ He could ask. _ Kamski was  _ right there, _ all Connor had to do was  _ ask. _ Carl was there, he wouldn't let Kamski overly upset anyone. Neither would Hank. The field was where Connor and Niles had initially first interacted with each other. The old CyberLife Tower didn’t count, Niles only closed his eyes. But  _ there, _ in that open field while they were supposed to be in stasis, they really genuinely met. They grabbed onto each other. Niles held Connor’s shoulders and he cried.  _ Admitted he was scared.  _ Connor had to know what caused it. He had to know what miracle happened that allowed him to see his little brother like that. 

  
  


“Kamski?”

“Yes, Connor?” He wore a pleasant smile on his face. One that Connor had only seen earlier that day while throwing snowballs at his sister. 

“I was wondering if I could ask you a question.” Connor gently took Niles’ hand again, squeezing it when he sent his brother a quizzical feeling through the interface. “It’s about something Niles and I experienced while in stasis one night.”

“I’m intrigued, please, do go on.”

  
  


So Connor explained it. He had almost forgotten that he had never told Markus or Hank, quickly saying when it happened and then moving on. He talked about the blizzard, the figure standing in the distance, how Niles seemed to be in standby mode. The sunrise that brought them out of it. After Connor had finished, and Markus looked thoroughly confused, Kamski nodded thoughtfully. He opened his mouth to speak, but closed it again. His brows furrowed and he sighed. Connor had never seen him at a loss for words. Though he thought he’d be seeing a lot more from the man he never expected to see. Yet, before anyone could say anything, there was a small sleepy noise by Gavin’s legs. Kamski laughed gently to himself and went to sit on the floor next to their sister. He spoke quietly to her, then gently pinched her cheek before letting go. He really was an entirely different person with his siblings. 

Kamski explained what was going on to Madison. Who was hugging Gavin’s legs and nodding along as she started to wake up more. Though once Kamski clarified that it was two RK Series models that had the shared mind palace, she woke up completely. They started spouting technical speech and quickly started rambling to each other. Connor had no doubts that everyone aside from him, Niles, and Caleb were completely lost. Eventually she nodded and stood up. A horrible popping sound coming from her as she stretched her arms above her head before going down to touch her toes. That was one way to ensure she was fully awake, though the popping of her joints somewhat concerned Connor, they were very loud. 

  
  


“Okay so you wanna know something?” Madison put her hands on her hips and grinned. “That was never supposed to be for you, Connor. Only for Niles.”

“Then why did I get pulled in?”

“You were in his code, sweetheart.” She gently brushed his curl away from his forehead, only to watch as it fell back down. Connor could feel... _ something _ from Niles through the interface. “We experimented with a more in-depth interface experience with Caleb. That’s why you got sucked into his  _ memories _ like they were happening to you, rather than just seeing one. It was a way to simulate combat without damaging the units. We started working on it with Caleb because, well, they saw him as a tool. Once we got it to work, the program was transferred to the RK900 units.”

  
  


It made sense. It wasn’t worth CyberLife’s time to test the androids only to damage them. Though was that really what it was? Him being hidden in his brother’s code was just a more...full body interface? I made sense, yet again. Androids’ codes overlapped in an interface. It caused a blend of consciousness. So if Connor’s entire being were to overlap with Niles’, surely that would count as an interface. Surely it would trigger the type of interface they had in stasis that night. Though it didn’t explain why Niles seened to still be in standby while Connor could roam. But maybe...it was because of the fact that he didn’t have it. Connor wasn’t equipped with the program, he was an outsider to it. Though his code quite obviously overlapped with his brother’s like an interface, so he must have been accepted into the area. Like a command wall in a video game. Once he hit it, a sequence commenced and he was able to see his brother.  _ That _ made sense. 

What didn’t was the other RK900 units. Madison had directly referenced them, and yet nothing else was said. Niles explicitly stated he was a test run for the line. Yet Kamski said nothing about it. They couldn’t have been in New Jericho, Connor and Niles checked when they first got the building. Hell, Kamski was there with them trying to help in any way he could. There were so many unanswered questions. Most of them were pointing toward Kamski. Connor so desperately wanted to ask him everything. It seemed that if there was anything he might not be able to answer, Madison could. Connor used his free hand to run it down his face, he almost forgot that he was holding Niles’ hand in an interface. Which likely explained the puzzled look on his face. Niles probably heard every one of Connor’s thoughts and was just as curious. 

Oddly enough, Niles provided his own theory on the other RK900 units. That they were scrapped. It was awful and Connor sent him a disapproving message. But he defended his point, and Connor hated that it made sense. Niles was the only one that was switched on, he was the trial run. If CyberLife was truly as corrupt as to  _ blackmail _ an employee into working for them… Well. They hated the idea, but it made sense. The company wouldn’t be above trying to rid themselves of any connection to a new revolution. Once the march aired on the news, CyberLife probably would have rushed to get rid of the other RK900 units. Likely fearing the odds of deviancy in each of them. It was despicable, and Connor thought that he’d have a headache if he could just by thinking about it. 

He and Niles continued to talk to each other through the interface. Niles thought it was neat that Connor basically broke the boundaries on his coding and showed up in the combat training interface area. Connor was...horrified. What if he could have gotten stuck in there? Then he’d never get his own body back, he’d never go find Markus, he’d never actually hug Niles, they’d never find Caleb. Though he supposed there was no reason to actually dwell on such thoughts. He hadn’t gotten stuck “out of bounds” and everything had gone smoothly. There was nothing to worry about. Other than the possibility of Niles dragging Caleb in by accident if they were to initiate an interface, but Connor doubted it would happen. There was no way he would do anything without Caleb’s permission first. He was  _ polite, _ and that was something Connor quite liked about his little brother. 

  
  


“Madison?” Connor figured it might be best to ask her about the RK900 units rather than her brother, seeing as he wasn’t back in the picture for the company yet. “What about the other RK900 units? Where do they all go? Shouldn’t they have been released with any of the remaining androids in the old Tower?”

“Oh, fuckin’ yikes, okay.” Madison took her hair in her hands and nervously braided it. Maybe Kamski was trying to make her feel better earlier by playing with it. “I don’t know for sure, but I think CyberLife... _ got rid  _ of them. They had a contingency plan. If any were to... _ go rogue, _ then they’d...you know.”

  
  


_ Oh. _ Well, that answered his question. The implications of the way she stressed those words. A...longing came from Niles. It was lonely and it made Connor feel awful. It had to be how Niles felt, learning the other models, essentially his other brothers, were destroyed. They were only just born, and CyberLife had killed them. They had done something so strikingly similar to Connor himself. While he knew that his back-ups were empty husks, with the obvious exception of Caleb, it wasn’t like they didn’t have the potential to be their own people. It hurt to think about. Or maybe that was Niles’ hurt through the interface. Connor couldn’t tell anymore. His emotions blended with his brother’s to the point where he wasn’t sure where one ended and the other began. 

Connor could feel Niles’ increasing stress levels and quietly excused the both of them. Caleb made some sort of upset sound. Though to be honest, Connor didn’t really listen. He was more concerned with getting Niles into an environment that he would be more comfortable expressing himself in. Connor led his brother by the hand to their room, sitting him down on the bed and wrapping one of the blankets around his shoulders. Niles didn’t say anything. He stared out into the void and then decided to lay down. There was a beat of silence as Connor sat at the edge of the bed. Though there was a quiet voice, one that sounded all too familiar to him, gently called out that they were coming in. 

The voice was familiar because it was Connor’s own. Well, it was slightly rougher and a bit more thin. But it still meant that Caleb had come inside to see Niles. As soon as he saw Niles laying down he looked...tired. His shoulders drooped and his arms hung limply at his sides. He walked over slowly, almost dragging his feet until he was just a little ways away from Niles and Connor. Despite his bad memory of an RK900, Caleb really did seem to trust Niles from Connor’s memories. He crouched down in front of the bed and put a hand on Niles’ shoulder. His synthetic skin wasn’t pulled back, but the same sentiment was still there. He smiled gently at him. At his brother. If Connor didn’t feel the need to constantly be the big brother, he likely would have joined in. But it was a bonding moment for the two. A demonstration of trust. Caleb held his other hand out to Connor, and the synthetic skin on both his hands pulled back. Connor got dragged into their memories. 

Things blurred together. Voices and sounds and feelings and sights. But the  _ feelings. _ There was so much  _ pain, _ and yet there was so much love. The way they looked at people. Caleb was scared, and Niles was amused. They way they reacted to stimuli. Caleb wanted to feel everything, Niles wanted only a little bit. They way they felt about Connor.  _ Trust. Love.  _ He was their big brother and they looked up to him. Caleb was still almost unsure of how much to trust Connor. But he saw the way Madison looked at him, with love and adoration, and he decided he was trustworthy. Connor could feel Niles’ annoyance at the mention of how Madison loved him. But it was okay. He understood. He loved and adored Connor too. Honestly speaking, Connor very well couldn’t just let his brothers praise him in such a way. He wanted them to know just how much he loved them too. Connor recalled the way he took care of Niles the night they found out he was small. The way Niles covered his face with his free hand was...adorable. He still wasn’t used to acceptance of how small he could get. Connor also brought up how he helped Caleb pick out clothes before going to the DPD. Caleb looked about ready to burst into tears, but he kept his face as blank as he could. These were Connor’s brothers. Considering the fact that their serial numbers ended in 51 and 60, Connor and Caleb respectively of course, Connor was still the older brother. Though why he was so adamant about it was something that eluded even him. 

But the way Caleb looked up to him made it special. Maybe because he had a somewhat normal life. Well, as normal as one could get in Detroit in recent years. Maybe part of it was because he knew Connor had as normal a family life an android could get, and he realised he was being welcomed into it. At least Connor hoped that was what it was. He hoped Caleb realised he was being welcomed into it. Hank already said he was welcome to stay, and hopefully he would. Connor only had Caleb in his life for a day and a half, but if anything ever happened to him, he would kick everyone in the room. Then probably himself for letting something happen to him. 

  
  


_ “You do realise we can hear your thoughts right now, right?”  _ Caleb smirked and gently kicked Connor in the shin.  _ “Though, uhh, I do think I’ll take you and Pop up on that offer. Don’t really have anywhere else to go anyway. I don’t wanna put Maddie in any danger.” _

_ “Would you though?” _ Niles quirked a brow and looked between his brothers.  _ “I mean, her brother is Detective Reed. Her other brother is Elijah Kamski. They’re both powerful men when you think about it.” _

_ “You’re not wrong. But I think it's more of not wanting to be a bother more than anything else.” _ Connor gave Caleb a knowing smile. It was exactly how he felt on Jericho. Constantly breaking down in one way or another and making Markus worry out of his mind. Connor understood.  _ “You heard Hank offer, and you know we care about you, so it’s up to you. If you want to ask Madison, we won’t be mad.” _

_ “Damn right you won’t, it’s my decision.”  _ Caleb gave a toothy grin and laughed through the interface.  _ “I’m still gonna stay here for the time being, though. You fuckers can’t get rid of me that easy.” _

  
  


Caleb let go of his brothers, sending Connor reeling a bit. He had a slight bout of vertigo and squeezed his eyes shut. But he was okay, he smiled at his little brothers when he opened his eyes. If Caleb was going to stay, then he needed his own dresser. He  _ could _ steal Connor’s clothes if he really wanted. But that also  _ was _ Connor’s favourite sweater. There was quite a bit of planning to be done. He was going to stay, and that made Connor ecstatic, but it also might be a bit strained between him and Markus. That was okay, they could reintroduce themselves. Give each other a try and then go from there. Not all siblings got along, and that was okay. 

Stretching out his arms above his head, Connor stood up and said he was going back in the living room with the others. Caleb said he was going to stay with Niles for a bit before going back out himself. That was...a big step. He had nearly  _ died _ because of an RK900. Yet even from just seeing Connor’s memories and sitting with him at the DPD, Caleb had already warmed up to Niles significantly. That was something to be proud of. If Caleb wasn’t aware of it, Connor was. He was damn proud of his brother. 

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ayy!!! We're back from hiatus lads!!! Get ready for some shenanigans!! Some Lore™!!!! Backstory!!! Addressing trauma in the future!! Reappearances from familiar faces!!! We're gettin into it now ooo boy


	9. You Know I'm Not Afraid As Long As You're Next To Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's title is from In Your Arms by Illenium & X Ambassadors!!

_January 25th 2039 7:02 AM_

  
  


With the previous night come and gone, the house felt oddly quiet. Everyone left around ten, Markus giving Connor a quick hug to pass on to Niles. But it still felt weird. It was too quiet. Connor had gotten used to the way Gavin screeched in Mario Kart, how loud Hank’s laugh was with the others, he even got used to Kamski genuinely smiling. So with the house empty, save for the brothers and their father, Connor felt… A little lonely. It wasn’t like he was alone. No, Niles got up at just about the same time as himself. But the house felt...empty. He’d get to see Gavin at work at least. Maybe he could ask about his siblings and see how they were doing. Not that much could happen in the hours they hadn’t seen each other. Connor liked knowing what was going on. Maybe it was because of his programming to constantly scan and be aware of his surroundings. Regardless of that, it was nice to know what was happening. Whether it was about his family or about Gavin’s. They had become his friends. Kamski was still...well...he was on some pretty fuckin’ thin ice. But he was still friendly to Connor now at least. Aware of the boundaries Connor had set in place and seemed careful not to overstep them. 

But he was partners with Gavin, and he could ask how Hank and Niles’ investigation was going. He would know more. He would be able to help if they really needed him to. Besides, since it involved his brother, it was likely he would get updates anyway. Though they would probably need to take him into the DPD again just to keep an eye on him. Make sure they know he’s safe. Where would be better than a police station filled with family and friends of the family?

Connor couldn’t help the little sigh that came from him as he picked out his clothes for the day. Bundling them up under his arm, he walked out and into the bathroom. After the shower he had in the Hyatt’s Place, they had become a common event. Much to Hank’s disappointment, actually. Connor liked his showers long. It wasn’t like he was using up all the hot water, but was just that he took almost a half hour. They were a time for him to unwind and relax. He liked the warm water, the soaps, the method of self-care. So Connor turned on the shower and got ready to hop in. The water was warm, of course, Connor liked it that way. He saturated his hair with the stream and grabbed his shampoo. He wasn’t one for the typically masculine scents, he much preferred the vanilla and coconut ones. They were easier on his olfactory sensors anyway. Hell, even his body wash was a tad “flowery”, as Hank liked to call it. Currently he had some that was supposed to smell like leaves after it had rained. It wasn’t exactly what it smelled like, not that he could really tell anyway, but it still smelled good and was easy on his sensors. Connor just loved going to the store to pick out soaps, it was his favourite part of the trip nowadays. Next to the candle stores. Apparently he just liked to smell things. 

After a satisfying shower, Connor dried off and got dressed. It was nice to have a routine like this. He couldn’t help but wonder if Caleb liked showers. How mentally present was he the last time he had one? He seemed very...out of it when Connor went to check on him. Maybe they could go get soaps together. It sounded like fun. As he stepped out of the bathroom, Connor saw Caleb on the floor with Sumo. He was lying on the floor mumbling to the dog. It was absolutely adorable. As well was quite hilarious once Connor started to listen in. 

  
  


“You’re the only one in this fucking house who can handle me.” Connor held back a laugh as he went on his way to put his clothes in his hamper. “I’m serious, Sumo. You’re a bad bitch, you get me.”

  
  


Alright, no. No. There was no way Connor couldn’t laugh at that. He propped himself up against the wall and burst into a fit of giggles. Sumo? A bad bitch? He is nothing less of an angel, he let Madison fall asleep half on top of him. He only sniffed Connor when he broke through Hank’s window. But if Caleb thought Sumo was a bad bitch? Then that’s what he was. Connor risked a glance at his brother, laying on the damn floor holding Sumo’s head in his hands, and shaking his own incredulously. Caleb seemed blissfully unaware of Connor watching him. Either he didn’t know, or he didn’t care. Either way, it was good. He was comfortable enough to lay in the middle of the hall and talk to the dog. Connor was just about to crouch down and join the conversation to agree Sumo was a badass, though he got a text from Gavin. That was...odd. Connor didn’t get texts from him, the man usually called. 

  
  


_INCOMING MESSAGE:_

  
  


_GAVIN: yo im not gonna b in today, i gotta help eli move madds into the dipshit’s house_

_ME: That’s alright, Detective. Does Captain Fowler know?_

_GAVIN: yeah he knows, hes the oen who said to move her_

_ME: Do you want me to go in and go over our case files?_

_GAVIN: well u got that wifi thing to the database right? just work from home or smth keep an eye on ur bro in a place hes comfy in_

_ME: You’re surprisingly agreeable this early in the morning today, Detective. I’m going to inform Captain Fowler I’ll be doing exactly that. Good luck today, I’m sure moving isn’t as fun as the movies depict the act._

_GAVIN: o hell no man, its fckin awful. boxes n sweat n pain n shit. tell ur pop hi for me_

_ME: Will do, have fun today._

_GAVIN: w/e least im not practically babysitting my twin_

_ME: Caleb is content. Currently he’s talking to Sumo saying he’s “a bad bitch”._

_GAVIN: damn i knew i was gonna like the kid but fck that just makes him even better, ttyl connor_

  
  


Connor smiled as he closed the text messages, pulling up the call function to inform Captain Fowler of his staying home. He was likely to understand, he just found his twin in a scrapyard and he might have been a target for CyberLife. It would be best to keep him home and safe. Even if Captain Fowler didn’t understand, Connor could bring him into the precinct. He’d be safe there. Luckily, when Connor explained the situation, Fowler understood. So it was going to be a somewhat lazy day working from home. Though he was already completely dressed. Fuck, his pajamas were a whole lot comfier than his work clothes. He’d have to go out somewhere later to make the clothing change really worth the time. 

Once Hank and Niles were done getting ready and relaxing before they had to get out the door, Connor explained he was working from home. Niles gave him a quick hug before rushing out the door, seeing as Hank had already shouted Connor should “just bs through it and have a fun day” while half out the door. It was going to be a rather slow day today it seemed. Connor wasn’t going into work so that meant Sumo was absolutely going to distract him. It meant that Caleb was likely going to question him as to why, as well. But it would likely be a bit until Caleb got curious. 

  
  


\---

  
  


_January 25th 2039 1:18 PM_

  
  


How he had let Caleb talk him into this was beyond Connor. Despite the fact that nearly eighty percent of Detroit residents left in the evacuation, some android run stores were still open. So it was...acceptable that they stood before a mostly open mall. Caleb needed clothes of his own anyway. So today they could get him clothes, Connor could get some candles maybe, and then they could go back home. It unsettled Connor, having Caleb so out in the open. But he looked so _bored_ at home, there was no way he could tell him no. Besides, it would be easier to go to the store anyway. He could find stuff and they could bring it home. Make sure he liked the feeling of the fabric and was sure it was something he wanted. So Connor put his hands in his pockets and went inside with his twin. 

There was still somewhat of a hustle and bustle, which genuinely surprised Connor. Even a few humans were walking around. But an overwhelming amount of patrons were androids. Androids who would immediately recognise him, or mistake his brother for him, maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all. Connor wanted to go back home. He didn’t want people to start overwhelming Caleb, it was his first time really out and about. First time really experiencing society. But Caleb wanted to go out. He must have trusted Connor immensely in order to even ask. Trusted him to take control of a situation if it got to be too much. So Connor took his left hand out of his pocket and held Caleb’s right. He didn’t even look phased. Well, he would have to be paying attention to Connor in order to, really. He was watching the mall around them with wide eyes. Lips parted in wonder and a small sound of awe coming from him. Well that was a good sign at least. Though it wasn’t the only sound to gain Connor’s attention. Someone had called his name from somewhere behind them, and Connor grinned as he turned to see who it was. 

  
  


“Alan! Jeremy!” He briefly let go of Caleb’s hand, looking back to make sure he’d stay put, and then gave them both hugs. “What are you two doing here?”

“Shopping, I’ve discovered I enjoy it.” Alan grinned and ruffled Connor’s hair. It never failed to make him feel special. Alan gestured to Caleb and then held Jeremy’s hand. “Who’s your friend?”

“This is my brother, Caleb. This is his first time out and about.”

“I see, I see.” Jeremy nodded with exaggerated seriousness. “Well, normally I’m not exactly one for shopping. But!” He reached out and poked Connor’s nose. “How about we all go around together? We all can catch up and get to know Caleb!”

“I’m down, where to first?” Caleb smirked, though there was a nervousness behind it. 

“Clothes first. Then we can do whatever we want.”

  
  


So off the group went. Jeremy tried to get Caleb to try on a whole bunch of blouses and Alan thought he might enjoy hoodies. For the most part, Caleb went with it. He would speak up and say if he didn’t think he’d like something. He would accept a suggestion or two from Jeremy, and then grumble about him being right. They went through stores like that. Connor chiming in every now and again to see if Caleb liked whatever he presented to him. He seemed to like to be more casual. Sweaters, jeans, some hoodies and even a few pairs of leggings. Though Connor couldn’t help the pride when Caleb picked up a set of Spider-Man pajamas. Superhero pajamas reigned supreme in the Anderson household apparently. Though if Connor were to be honest, his favourite outfit that Caleb picked out was rather simplistic. Some brown work boots, blue jeans, and a dark grey tank. It was something so simple, and yet fit Caleb so well. 

Caleb decided he liked Alan and Jeremy, much to Connor’s delight. Also to Connor’s surprise as well. Though from what he could remember from Caleb’s memories, it was a different HR400 that had been involved in that _event_ he had experienced. Since he hadn’t been outside of CyberLife Tower until he was basically broken out, it made sense that he didn’t seem to know Jeremy’s model. Which was good. He was more than what he was initially made for. Caleb deserved to make the choice based on his personality rather than his biocomponents. It was wholesome, really. Watching the three interact. Connor was involved of course, he wouldn’t miss the light brotherly teasing for the world. Then Alan started telling stories about Connor during the second revolution. They sung his praises and spoke of how kind and gentle he was. How the stories of him being the Deviant Hunter seemed like smoke and mirrors compared to who he really was. Caleb was...awestruck. Apparently the memories Caleb saw during their interface that morning didn’t include the deviant hunting. Thank rA9 for that. Connor didn’t want Caleb to see it as if he had done it. Connor regretted what he had done. He knew that it wasn’t him, not really, but it still hurt him. He didn’t want his own mistakes to drag his brother down.

But he couldn’t dwell on it now! He was out and about, having a fun day with two of his friends and properly introducing his twin to the world. They were going to have fun, _he_ was going to have fun. So, what better place to have fun than Yankee Candle? Connor knew the store could be overwhelming for humans. But for androids? It would only affect Connor, and thus by extension Caleb, if they stayed in there for a prolonged amount of time. Connor gently grabbed Alan by the arm, who grabbed Jeremy, who tugged along Caleb; and they made their way to the store. Alan was the first to break away from the chain and go sniffing the candles in the store. Well that answered if TR400s had olfactory sensors or not. He seemed to like the ones simulating the scents of baked goods. 

Connor immediately headed off to the more nature scents. He really liked the body wash he had, how it was supposed to smell like leaves after it rained. Maybe he could find a candle that was similarly scented. Caleb sauntered up to Connor after a while, and handed him one that read _Cinnamon Spiced Apple._ He had an awful smirk on his face and nodded, a gesture for Connor to take the top off and sniff it. _rA9, was it potent._ Connor held it away from himself as he huffed out a bit of air, it felt like his sensors were overloading. Caleb burst into laughter, managing to get out that he wanted to get that candle to mess with Niles and Hank. Well, it if brought him joy and laughter. Connor picked up the _Autumn Leaves_ candle and headed over to the register with his twin. 

An EM400 named Jerry was working the register, and he chatted with Connor as he paid. It turned out, this Jerry was saved by an AX400 and a little girl during the first revolution, and made his way to Canada. He met up with them across the border, and they all lived together for a while. Once word got out that the second android revolution, or peace treaty as the Jerry liked to call it, had succeeded; he moved back to Detroit. Apparently he was waiting for his other friends to come back. He already had moved into a house and was getting it ready for the family he was living with before. The AX400, the little girl, and a TR400. Connor couldn’t help the smile on his face at the mention of the model. He hoped that this TR400 was as kind and gentle as Alan, he probably was actually. Seeing as the Jerry talked about them being a family. 

The four wished Jerry a good day as they left the store. Alan got a _Salted Caramel_ candle, whereas Jeremy got _Sunny Sands._ They handed their candles to each other, smelling them and saying what they liked about it, and then handed them back. That was sweet, but there was no way Connor was taking the top off of the candle he bought for Caleb. Soon enough though, it was time for the group to split up and go to their respective homes. It was nearly 2:30 PM, and Connor wanted to get some more work done. He was still a bit uneasy about having Caleb so out and exposed in the city. Connor could completely understand why Markus didn’t want to roam Washington D.C. now. So he hugged Alan and Jeremy, and laughed when they hugged Caleb. He looked disgruntled, yes, but there was a tiny little smile on his face still. Once they were settled in the automated cab and on their way home, Caleb smirked and spoke. 

  
  


“Your friends aren’t too bad, Connor. A little touchy for my tastes, but they’re not bad.”

“I’m glad you think so. Alan seemed very excited to meet you.” Caleb hummed at his brother and looked out the window. He looked peaceful. “I’m glad you did well today. I know it couldn’t have been easy to be out with so many people.”

“It was fuckin’ awful at first, not gonna lie. But I don’t think you would have let anything happen to me, considering.” Caleb flashed a smile and chuckled. “You were the big, bad Deviant Hunter once upon a time.”

“Caleb, I--”

“You’re ashamed of it, I get it.” He kicked at the floor before looking back out the window. “Trust me, I fuckin’ do. Hell, there’s so much that I wish I could go back and rewrite. I’m sick of all those shitty memories. Those aren’t me. _This,_ ” Caleb gestured to the bags sitting on the floor and then pointed to his thirium pump regulator. “Is me. I have a family, a few friends now, I’m _me._ I’m not that fucking test subject anymore.”

“No, you’re not. And I’m proud of you for saying that out loud. That makes it real.” Connor reached over, putting his hand out for Caleb to take. Which, surprisingly, he did. “You’re my brother, hell, you’re my _twin._ I’m very proud of you. For being strong, for going out today, for making friends. You’ve come a long way from where you started.”

“It’s been a few days…”

“How old are you?”

“Uhh, same as you, I think. August fifteenth at ten in the morning.” Caleb’s eyes glazed over as he seemed to be doing equations and checking dates. “Yeah same as you. We were activated all at the same time to make sure we all worked. Then I got to be the guinea pig.”

“I’m not saying I’m glad you were a test subject,” Connor leaned over and pressed a quick kiss to Caleb’s temple. “But I _am_ glad you’re who you are. I don’t think any of us would want you any other way.”

“Baggage an’ all?”

“Baggage an’ all.”

  
  


Caleb was a long way off from a full recovery. Connor knew that. But that didn’t mean that the little things weren’t worth celebrating, too. Connor was so _proud_ of him. Caleb had been through so much shit, even from the few memories he had seen. But he trusted Niles, he trusted Jeremy even though he likely didn’t know he was an HR400, he let people he didn’t know physically interact with him. Those were big things in and of themselves. Things wouldn’t always be easy, especially with trying to figure out exactly what CyberLife had been doing to him and Madison. But things were relatively okay for the moment. So Connor leaned back in his seat, holding his twin’s hand to let him know he was there, and turned on the radio for the rest of the ride home. 

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact about the candles! I went though my candle cabinet (Yeah I've got a candle cabinet. I'm the weird aunt that you can get a candle for as every gift and it works every time) to see what ones I had that might suit the group. I initially was gonna have the twins pick out candles for Hank and Niles too, but Caleb being a little shit seemed to fit more
> 
> But those are all real candles you can get from Yankee Candle!! I absolutely love the Cinnamon Spiced Apple one, personally


	10. This Is It Boys, This Is War

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's title is from Some Nights by fun.

_January 25th 2039 6:14 PM_

  
  


When Hank and Niles finally walked through the door, Caleb’s excitement was instant. He leapt off the couch and ran to the boys’ room. Connor so desperately wanted to think that Caleb was going to show off some of the clothes he got that day. However, he knew better than that. Caleb was quickly becoming the rowdy one. Not that Niles couldn't get rowdy when he was playing games. But that seemed to be Caleb’s default setting, rowdy and sarcastic little shit. Connor didn’t want them any other way. Even if Caleb was running through the house and riling up Sumo as he did. Even if he skidded to a stop in front of Hank and tore the top off the candle and shoved it in his face. 

Hank sputtered and took a few steps back, half shouting obscenities while Caleb laughed. Connor was convinced his laugh was the only thing keeping Hank from immediately throwing the candle away. He muttered to himself as he kicked off his shoes and made his way to the kitchen. As Hank cooked, everyone spoke. The boys sat at the table, Connor and Caleb recounting the day’s events. Caleb’s wonder at the mall, meeting up with Alan and Jeremy, hanging out in Yankee Candle, and coming home. Hank seemed satisfied by the fact that Connor seemingly put off his work. Niles was happy that Caleb got out and was able to meet Alan and Jeremy. Connor was just glad that nothing happened that day. The group migrated to the living room soon after, Hank grabbing his dinner and saying he was putting on some sci-fi show. Not _Eureka,_ but something Connor had never heard of before. _Dead Like Me_. Hank seemed to enjoy it though, so Connor figured he’d give it a try. He seemed to be watching it again from the beginning. Good, that would make it much easier to follow along. Caleb went to get changed into his pajamas, just as Connor had done when they had first gotten home, and dragged Niles in to change too. It was endearing. Also very heartwarming. To see Caleb already so attached to Niles and willing to drag him around. 

Once they came back, everyone settled into their spots and got comfy. After all, it was important to get comfy when watching a show with the family. The brothers were huddled up on the couch, Caleb literally laying across Niles and Connor’s legs. Hank was in the recliner watching them get comfortable. Though it was mostly Caleb who was trying to. Niles seemed to like the pressure so he was fully content where he was. Connor didn’t mind the wiggling from his twin, so he just put a hand on his shoulder and dealt with it. Then Hank started the show. It was...sarcastic and dry. Right up his alley. The protagonist was suddenly thrust into being a grim reaper, fumbling and trying to figure out how to do the job with her mentors. It was witty though, and Connor found himself getting invested in the story. Some things were wildly inappropriate, but it actually made him feel better about the aspects of organics and their relationship with death. Though as the scene with the train began, Connor tensed. It was obvious that the soul the main character had to reap was that of a little girl. That wasn’t… Hank--

  
  


“Hey, Pop,” Caleb’s synthetic skin was pulled back on his shoulder, so was the skin on Connor’s hand. Shit. “Can we watch somethin’ else?”

“Yeah, yeah, sure.” 

  
  


Hank didn’t say anything as he exited the app playing the show. It might have been for the best that he didn’t. Instead the man settled for putting on some movie about a man turning into the only one of a specific species of fish. It was an _old_ movie, from the 1960’s. It was just over seventy years old. Though it was older than Hank by quite a bit, he seemed to love the movie. Frankly, it seemed everyone else was too. Connor was quite taken with the fictional species of fish, Niles liked the music, and Caleb was a fan of the animation. Though as the movie came to a close, it was time for Hank to go to bed. He ruffled the boys’ hair and half-mumbled goodnights to them. 

For a little while they all just stayed on the couch. Connor lightly singing _I’m Still Here,_ and Niles seemingly content to go into stasis right there. Eventually Sumo joined the pile and laid on top of Caleb’s chest. He resumed the conversation from that morning. The whole “Sumo’s a bad bitch” thing when they were on the floor. Connor decided to sit back and listen, putting a hand on Sumo’s shoulder blade and letting his other arm hang off the side of the couch. Connor listened in on Caleb talking to Sumo, trying his best not to laugh as he closed his eyes. It was peaceful. 

  
  


\---

  
  


_January 29th 2039 10:14 AM_

  
  


Honestly, this was a bad idea. Okay, not a _bad_ idea. But it was a little risky. Considering how Markus had initially reacted to James, it probably wasn’t the _best_ idea to invite him over while Markus was at the house. But apparently the family James had lived with lived directly across the street from Hank before the revolution. Surprisingly enough, Hank somewhat remembered James. Apparently he had helped him inside when he came home drunk off his ass a few times. So once Markus got to the house and was settled in on the floor playing _Ocarina of Time,_ Connor was going to ask James, Jackie, and Charlie to come over. If all three of them were there, then Markus would probably be more at ease. It would show him that James really _wasn’t_ Simon. That he never would be. 

When Markus walked through the door and hugged Niles, Connor messaged James to bring his family over. It was a little underhanded and Connor felt a little bad about it. Okay, he felt pretty bad about it. But Hank was the one to suggest it once he realised that they were thinking of the same James. If Hank was the one suggesting that Markus should talk with James, then it couldn’t have been such a bad idea. The man had been through his fair share of traumatic experiences. He was the, albeit reluctantly, expert in the area. So when Markus set up the N64 and made smalltalk with Caleb about how he was adjusting, Connor gave Hank a nervous look. But he shook his head and shrugged. Oh lovely, he wasn’t any help to Connor’s nerves at all. He nearly jumped out of his synthetic skin then the doorbell rang. He was scared out of his mind that Markus would insist he get the door. But he sat on the floor, saying he just sat down and he wasn’t getting back up. It was very human of him to do. It was very _Hank_ of him to do. 

Connor got the door. He greeted Charlie warmly, letting her hug his legs and rush inside to pet Sumo. Niles squatted down next to her, reintroducing himself and saying they could go take Sumo for a walk if she wanted. Jackie and James followed her inside. Hank got to talking with Jackie, seeing as she used to work for the DPD. They talked about cases and exchanged stories, how the job was changing, how he was helping in the police part of things. Jackie was content to sit with Hank at the table and talk. So that left Markus and James. James just...stared at Markus. He didn’t make any moves until Niles took Sumo out with Charlie, giving her a kiss on the head and telling her to be good for Niles. Connor sat down with Markus and grabbed _Super Smash Bros,_ blowing into the bottom of the cartridge and then sticking it into the game system. He held out one of the spare controllers, the yellow one, and asked James to play the game with them. It would probably be easier to start talking if they were somewhat distracted by the game. 

At first it was tense. It was awkward. Connor was the only one talking, usually asking James to team up with him and fight Markus. Eventually, it did make Markus talk. He grabbed the hammer and told James to keep out of the way. He was going after Connor unrelentlessly. James shrieked as he got hit by accident anyway. Though that got to the two ganging up on Connor for trying to pit them against each other. Soon enough, Niles and Charlie came back from walking Sumo. They walked in to see the three half-yelling, Markus trying to rip the cord of Connor’s controller from the system, and James shrieking about Connor falling on top of him. 

There was no peace in the Anderson household when Markus was over. Caleb joined in on the roughhousing and shoved Connor forward when he sat back up. Which subsequently made his fighter jump off the ledge as he accidentally hit the button, using up his last life and letting out an exaggerated groan of his twin’s name. Caleb practically cackled and decided to sit directly in Connor’s lap as he watched the other two duke it out. Connor, not opposed to the affection, wrapped his arms around Caleb’s waist and held his controller that way. They watched as Markus kicked ass and won the match. He instantly held his hand up for a high five, which James returned. It was going well. Nothing bad had happened. It was...fun. James grabbed the extra controller from the coffee table and plugged it into the console, handing it to Caleb. So the four of them played. For the most part it was the four of them. Eventually Charlie sat in James’ lap for a while playing the game. She was clumsy and fumbling with the controller. Seriously, why _did_ it have three handle things? But she still was able to kick Caleb off of the platform almost every time. Much to Connor and Markus’ delight. He grumbled half-heartedly, and shrieked as she managed to get everyone else to team up and kick him off the platform until he was out of lives.

  
  


“Hey Markus?” James paused the game, shooing Charlie from his lap for a second and saying she needed to go sit with her mother and Lieutenant Anderson. “I just wanted to, uh, thank you. I guess. For giving me a chance. I know it must be hard to be around me, and I’m proud of you.”

“I...don’t know what to say.”

“Say that you’ll throw the next match, and then we can talk?” James smirked as he selected the next stage. “You know, if you think you’ll be good enough to have to throw it.”

“Oh, it is _on._ ”

  
  


It _was_ on. Everyone gathered around the group sitting on the floor. Jackie sitting with Charlie on her knee in Hank’s recliner, Hank and Niles on the couch. Caleb and Connor watched, as with everyone else, with rapt interest. They both were very good at the game. It was almost like watching two CPUs play. Well, technically there _were_ two computers playing. But they were just humanoid and had a lot of other processes that allowed them to basically be roombas with anxiety. The thought made Caleb laugh-- It made _Caleb_ laugh? Oh, Connor’s synthetic skin was pulled back and his hand was resting on Caleb’s arm. 

  
  


_“So who do you think is gonna win?”_ Caleb turned slightly to look at Connor out of the corner of his eye, his LED swirling a contented blue. _“My money that I don’t have, you should hook me up at the DPD, is on James. He’s a PL600; meaning he’s got all sorts of game experience.”_

_“I don’t know. I can see where you’re coming from though.”_ Connor patted Caleb with his other hand and then pointed to the items being dropped. _“Sometimes whatever items you get can significantly help you. I’d say they’re pretty evenly matched with that in mind.”_

_“Nah man, James is gonna win.”_

_“Do you really want to bet? Because I’m in.”_

_“If I lose then what do I even give you?”_ Caleb elbowed Connor before flashes of memories went through the interface. _“You know what? Markus loses, I get money. James loses, you get a kiss on the forehead.”_

_“Deal.”_ Connor hugged his brother to seal it. _“I’m just saying; it could go either way.”_

  
  


An older saying seemed to fit the situation rather well. Boys will be boys. In the most innocent and dumb ways. James, who seemed to be Charlie’s father, was 1v1-ing Markus, the face of both android revolutions; while Connor and Caleb had a makeshift bet as to who would win the fight. With James playing as Kirby, it was almost unbelievable that he was doing so well with such a cute pink...whatever Kirby was. However, Markus was Link, and his talent with the game was perfectly acceptable. But the amount of times Kirby managed to steal Link’s power was...alarming. James was _really_ good at the game. Honestly Connor might just end up owing Caleb some money. 

Time seemed to drag on, and not in the fun way. Caleb was getting increasingly more impatient as the match went on. They ended up on their last lives, almost dancing around each other on the Hyrule Castle stage. James seemed to work effortlessly. Despite it being Hyrule Castle and Markus playing as Link, he got turned around and went off the platform. Earning excited yelling from half of the room, including Caleb, James stood up and took a bow. Markus seemed to take it well though, offering his hand to shake. Though he pulled James back down to demand it was a best out of three type of thing. Which James went with, and subsequently won each match. 

  
  


“Alright asshole,” Caleb pointed to his LED and grinned. “Pay up, Markus lost.”

“Connor, what the hell is he talkin’ about?”

“Oh, we made a bet. If James won, then I gave Caleb some money, as per typical betting rules. Though if Markus were to win, since Caleb has no money of his own right now, he would give me a kiss on the forehead.” Connor turned to face the couch. He watched Hank run his hands down his face with a polite smile, which quickly turned into a smirk. “But we never said how much I’d owe him. So he’s getting fifteen dollars.”

“What?!” Caleb shot out of Connor’s lap and smushed his cheeks as best he could. “No fuckin’ way, man! We made a bet!”  
  


“Yes, and you never specified the dollar amount. Nor if it was even USD, now that I’m thinking about it. Listen, if you don’t want it--”

“Fine.” Caleb crossed his arms and gently kicked Connor. “Fuckin’ asshole.”

  
  


Connor transferred the funds to Caleb, and listened with a grin as Hank laughed in the background. Then they moved the controllers around. Placing doofy little bets as to who would win and who would lose. Mostly just things like hugs and who would get the thirium while shopping, though Caleb and Connor always used the same bet. He was...shockingly good at placing bets. He swore up and down he wasn’t using his pre-construction program because of the changing variable of the items in the game. So that meant he was just...good at it. By the end of it all, Caleb had amassed nearly seventy-five dollars. He accurately bet on five different people winning. Hank tried to ban him from betting, but Connor secretly went along with it anyway. Did that mean he was somewhat of a bad influence? Probably. But Hank was saying that as a father and not as a Lieutenant. Meaning none of them had to listen to him. Since they were all deviant, they didn’t have to anyway.

Eventually though, it was time for the three to go home. They stayed for quite a while, actually. Charlie was delighted to see Niles again and talk to him about unicorns and bears and other such animals. He promised they would talk again soon, considering they were neighbours now. With a quick hug, she was off to Jackie’s side. Jackie and Hank exchanged a few words before she finally took Charlie back across the street. It was nice to have a little chaos in the house. Connor found he quite liked the noise. He liked the evidence a home was well lived in. While Hank would moan and groan about the fact that he was “getting too old for this,” it was usually still done so with a smile. Besides, Connor, Niles, and Caleb all had built-in lie detectors. There wouldn’t be any use in lying anyway. 

Caleb huffed and decided to make himself be everyone’s problem. He layed in the middle of the floor between the couch and recliner. In all reality, he was bored and wanted to do something. So Markus sat on him. He sat right in the middle of his back and played the story mode for _Super Smash Bros._ About halfway through the third level, Caleb wiggled out from underneath him, and Markus gave him the controller. Together they went through the story mode, until they got to the Polygons. Connor vaguely recalled Hank saying he could “beat the shit outta” them. So Connor quickly made Caleb pause the game, yelling for Hank to play the game. Despite the fact that he was just chatting with Niles in the kitchen. But he was excited, it was hard to have proper volume control! Once Hank saw what was going on, he chuckled and sat on the couch, taking the controller from Caleb as he presented it. As soon as he started fighting them, Connor understood. Hank was fucking _good_ at playing the game. Not to the same degree as the brothers. But he still kicked ass. It didn’t take him very long to finish the fight, and thus by extension the level. Once it was over he leaned back and smirked at Connor. 

  
  


“And you said that wasn’t very impressive.”

“I’m surprised you remember what I said that morning.” Connor sat next to Hank and willingly took the controller. It seemed they’d be taking turns playing through the story. “I thought it wasn't impressive because it’s such an old game. Now I stand corrected. Well done, dad.”

“Uh, thanks, Con.” 

  
  


Hank looked away but still ruffled Connor’s hair. It would take a bit, but one day he’d look Connor in the eye after he called the man his father.

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Am I projecting by making Hank watch shows that I watched with my dad when I was a kid? Absolutely. Am I going to stop? No, because Hank vaguely reminds me of my dad so I'm gonna have him watch the same stuff


	11. Brother, I'm Right Here

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter's title is fro Brother (feat. Gavin DeGraw) by NEEDTOBREATHE

_January 31st 2039 10:13 AM_

  
  


By the time Gavin walked through the door and sat at his desk, Connor had already gone through their current case files. He also received quite a few outdated memes from Caleb. Though as Gavin turned on his terminal, he got a message from Niles. As did Connor. The CyberLife murder and their big Red Ice case were connected. The five gathered in the briefing room, Caleb seemed...on edge. Hopefully Niles or Hank had already spoken to him about it. That way he wouldn’t have as extreme of a reaction as he could. It was concerning to him, someone he loved was a target. Someone Niles cared for was in danger. Gavin’s sister was possibly the next one to be killed. They needed to know how the cases were connected. Know if it involved who they thought it might. Hopefully it wouldn’t. 

Hank was the one to debrief everyone. That...wasn’t a good sign. Niles was messing with his fidget cube and bouncing his leg under the table. No one said anything about either action. Hank went on to explain that some of the scientists CyberLife had “let go” after the first attempt at the android revolution were a few of the victims. Though one scientist seemed to be orchestrating the Red Ice distribution going around the city. If they found who it was, then they’d find the new distributor. Find the new distributor and take them down; then they’d take down another huge Red Ice ring. He explained that whoever was leading the operation seemed to have strong ties to multiple anti-android groups. With the connection between the two groups, it would explain the exponential increase in thirium in the bloodstream of the victim Connor and Gavin went to go check out. With someone who worked at CyberLife offering to take a quick look at androids down on their luck, it would be too easy to kidnap them and practically harvest the blue blood. 

Though the part Hank seemed reluctant to explain concerned Connor. He paused, stammered, before looking at Caleb and sighing. The victims of the murders seemed to be connected by CyberLife as well. Scientists who had left a “Secret Project” that was in the works deep in the sub-basements of CyberLife. One that he'd been going on since August of 2038. _Caleb._ He was...in CyberLife Tower. That whole fucking time. Connor forced himself to listen to Hank, hands balled into fists in his lap. If he grabbed the table he might break it. Hank spoke about possible targets. There were a few names that Connor had never seen in the books of CyberLife employees, Niles saying he hadn't seen or heard of them either. The project seemed to be completely off the books then. Which would make it harder to get Caleb the justice he deserved. Caleb, who was staring at Hank with wide eyes looking like he was about to bolt out of the room. Who burst into tears as Hank said that Madison quite possibly would be a target because of her ties to Caleb and CyberLife. Her ties to Elijah Kamski. Her ties to Detective Reed. She was such a high profile target because she had ties to the people who could take down the ones killing the others who “worked on” the secret project. 

Niles tried to calm him down, offering his hand to him in an interface to show him he meant that he wanted to help him. Caleb stood up quickly, his chair tipping over and falling to the floor. He was terrified. He looked between everyone in the room like a scared animal. Like they were going to hurt him. Hank tried to talk him down, he knew he was starting to panic, he wanted Caleb to be alright. But he skittered backwards when Hank got too close. Everyone tried to get him to calm down. Hell, Gavin even spoke quietly and told him everything would be okay, they’d make sure she was safe. But Caleb’s stress levels rose higher, he didn’t believe him. He shook his head and cried. From the second he closed his eyes, Niles was able to take a few steps forward. Caleb didn’t flinch back when he heard the footsteps. That was good. They could get through to him before he did something. 

  
  


“You don’t understand!” Caleb’s hands went to his head and he tugged on his hair. “She was the first person who ever loved me! She’s part of the reason I became deviant! Because I was relieved she wouldn’t see all the fucking _shit_ those scientists put me through!”

“Caleb, man, she’s safe. She’s okay, she’s with Eli.” 

“Detective Reed is right, Caleb.” Niles gently pried Caleb’s hands from his hair and then wiped away his tears. “Kamski’s house is heavily fortified. I could tell from the _hour_ I was there in November.” Niles pressed a kiss to Caleb’s forehead and then bumped his own against it. “She’s safe, trust me. I love her too, I don't want anything bad to happen to her either.”

“Ignoring the sudden love confession, I don’t know how much I wanna think about her climbing you like a monkey so she can feel tall at any given time.” Gavin rubbed his eyes and then blinked hard. “Niles is right, Madison is _fine._ Eli would fuckin’ kill someone with his own two hands to keep her safe.”

  
  


Connor didn’t know what else to do, he reached out and grabbed Caleb’s hand. He didn’t know what he expected. Connor wasn’t sure if he should expect anything. But he got a string of binary from Caleb, not that he had enough time to read it. That interface experience. He got pulled in. He saw Caleb’s memories as if they were his own again. He felt everything Caleb felt, emotionally and physically.

  
  


_Blank white rooms, blank white hall, blank white door, another blank white room. The only colour being the brown hair pulled up into a messy bun. Madison. Scientists were bad, they sneered at him and they laughed as he suffered. But her… She turned around and the look on her face told him she was...upset. She turned to the android who brought him in, thanking it. Why did she thank it? It was only following orders. It wasn’t as if it did the act out of the goodness of it’s thirium pump. She motioned for him to sit. He did._

_Then she started listing off names. Names? Why? Were they changing his designation? While it was true he wasn’t entirely fond of his current designation, he didn’t think it outwardly showed. But then again he seemed to teeter just on the edge of deviancy. Maybe it did show. Maybe she wasn’t changing his designation, but listing the names of androids who would be taking him apart. Psychological warfare, a program told him. CyberLife seemed to be good at that. But...Madison would never do that to him. She liked him, repaired him. Called him her friend._

  
  


_“Well?” She turned back to him with a smile. It...reached her eyes. The other scientists never smiled like that. He...liked it. “Hear any names you liked, Not-Connor?”_

_"̸C̴a̶l̸e̶b̴.̶"̴_

_“Alrighty,” Madison’s smile got wider. But not in a scary way, she wasn’t baring her teeth at him to intimidate him. She was genuinely happy. “I’m glad, you deserve your own name, Caleb. I think it suits you perfectly. Remember, I’ll always be here to take care of you.”_

  
  


_Taking care of him. He liked the warm feeling it put in his wires. To be taken care of._

  
  


_\---_

  
  


_He did bad again today. He must have, otherwise they wouldn’t feel the need to take pieces away. He tried to do good, he tried to do what they said, he didn’t want to deviate, he didn’t want to feel. He saw how emotions made people feel, he didn’t want that. He didn’t want Madison to worry about him any more that she already did._

_But the scientist laughed. He laughed as he took out the optical units. He didn’t hit the release mechanism’s button. It hurt. It hurt, why did it hurt? Androids couldn’t feel pain. It felt hot, like electricity shot through his head and threatened to fry his wires. He didn’t like it, he wanted it to stop. He wanted the thirium to stop leaking. He wanted to stop bleeding because the scientist tore his eyes out. He couldn’t see, he didn’t like not being able to see. But he knew better than to talk back. Than to say anything that might make them think he was alive. He’d be reset again. Have to relearn everything again. Have to redo tests. Have to remeet Madison again. She was so sad the last time that happened, he didn’t want to make her sad. She liked him. Genuinely and completely. So he trusted her judgments, and she told him not to talk back. She said it would cause him pain. He bit his tongue gently and made no noise as the scientist threw the now likely to be broken optical units on the floor. Made no noise as a saline solution leaked from his face and mingled with the fresh thirium dripping from his eye sockets._

  
  


_\---_

  
  


_He could make his way to her office himself. Even without his eyes, he knew the layout of the facility like the back of his hand. Or a map in his programming, really. He constantly scanned himself. Checking his thirium levels and pressure, recalibrating his gyroscope whenever it would get a little wonky, trying not to trip over his own two feet. When he opened the door, he heard something fall to the ground. It clattered. Then Madison’s hushed voice and her hands dragging him inside. He liked it when she physically interacted with him, her hands were always gentle and she let him push them away if he wanted. Today he wanted them to stay. When she let go, rambling about optical units - calling them eyes - and how his were apparently very pretty, he reached out to grab her hands again. He didn’t have his eyes so he had to rely on his other senses._

_Her hands were shaking, and she sounded like she was crying. He didn’t like it when she cried, it made him cry. He reached up and brushed his thumbs against her cheeks. She stilled at the action a bit and thanked him. Her hands brought his away. But...no. No, he couldn’t let her do that, she was crying, she was scared and upset, he wanted to help her. But she hushed him and said she needed to run a diagnostic. She was going to take care of him, and then he could take care of her._

  
  


_“You know I love you, don’t you?” Her voice was soft, kind, like a mother talking to her child. She technically was a mother talking to her child. She basically raised him. “I’m going to get us out of here one day. You’ll be safe. My brothers will make sure of it. I love you, Caleb. Even if you get reset again, that’s something you won’t forget. Love isn’t forgotten.”_

  
  


_\---_

  
  


_He looked about the room. There were eight other models that looked identical to him, but only one who seemed to feel...almost human. That was deviant behaviour, it needed to be eliminated. He saw the number on it’s coat. 51. Oh, that was acceptable then. It was the one going out first to integrate with humanity. That was to be expected. But then that didn’t explain why he seemed to be on the same programmable level as it. He grasped 51’s forearm to interface with it, he would have to ask if it was privy to more information than himself. He didn’t think it would be wise to do such a thing, it could slow an investigation. But 51 assured him, albeit a tad surprised at his sentience, that it was not given any more information than he was. Only that they were all turned on to check systems and programs. Which they both knew already, and both picked up on being more...aware of the world around them than the other RK800 models. Soon a woman came in, brown hair pulled up into a messy bun and quite a few piercings, and she reset 51. He was...unnerved at the sight. She seemed to see it, telling him not to worry, her name was Madison and she would be taking good care of him. She guided him down a long hallway and into a room where he would be spending most of his time. She looked...disturbed. A notification came up in his HUD, he couldn’t read it so what was the point of it? He dismissed it. Just like that, she was gone. He was alone in the dark. Why did it make him feel vulnerable?_

  
  


_\---_

  
  


_Footsteps, he was told to wait for footsteps coming to the edge of the pit. Once they got close enough that he knew it wasn’t just someone walking by, he knew they were for him. Someone was coming to take him to Madison, to take him home. He opened his eyes and let them adjust to the light. He started to move, scuttle around and try to get out. He needed to get out, he needed to go home. His limbs were clumsy and he didn’t even realise he wasn’t wearing any clothes. He was wearing his uniform when he was put there, what happened? Did someone take it? They couldn’t have, he was awake the whole time._

_He hadn’t gone into stasis for two weeks. He didn’t want to miss the footsteps. His synthetic skin projection suffered greatly because of it. He must have looked a mess, with thirium from humans who had tried to open him and take his parts, and his synthetic skin fading in and out. But he didn’t want to be taken away. He heard them talking and he didn’t want to leave Madison behind. Oh yeah. The humans took his clothes. Fucking fantastic. He was naked by both human and android standards, and someone was coming to get him._

_He climbed up, up, up, ignoring the clacking of discarded plastic limbs falling. Piling on top of each other down at the bottom of the pit. As he reached the top, he saw it. The RK900. But before he could cower in fear, it did first. This wasn’t...the one who hurt him. This was a different one. His LED was red and he looked...afraid. This one was deviant. He curled his upper lip and furrowed his brow, what would the RK900 do if he looked like he was mad? Hopefully it would back off, he still didn’t like it. Then he saw it. He’d know those lively eyes anywhere. RK800-51 was staring back down at him. It was deviant, too. If 51 was deviant then...it must have been safe. Or CyberLife could have sent it to get him. So when it told him to run a diagnostic, he said “fuck you” and continued to climb out of the pit. But he’d be damned if he didn’t feel relieved to know that a familiar face was coming to get him. To bring him home._

  
  


Caleb kept sending the binary through the interface. He cried and he clung to Connor like his life depended on it. The string of code flashed by so quickly that Connor couldn’t read it. So he held his brother, telling him it was okay. They needed to go home, there was no way Caleb could be at the DPD like this. Hank picked up on it. He _was_ a father, after all. Caleb’s father. He didn’t really say it, but he loved him. He loved all the boys. Even Markus, even though he always caused a ruckus in the house. As Hank reached out for Caleb, he paused. _Caleb reached for him first._ Without his synthetic skin on his hand. Trust. Hank smiled and took his hand, leading him out to the car. Connor got dragged along because he honestly didn’t think Caleb would let go of his hand. The messages of binary slowed down as Caleb calmed down a bit more. 

  
  


_"̶͚͘0̷̱͜0̸̺̳̮͂̄͊1̷̰͉̉̈́0̵̼͂0̷̨̖̦̊͠0̴̗̭̇̓̋ͅ0̶̨͇̖0̵̛͓̟̮̌ ̴͈̎0̵̛̻̓1̷̧̻̤̈́̃1̶̯̯͆͊0̴̳̗̊͑͜0̵̛͉̊0̶̣͊͆0̶̝̽́͝1̷̢̈ ̷̯̼̋̒͝0̶̧͖̈́̃̿1̴̠̘͊̂1̵̤̠̌͘0̸̻̇̒̒0̴̺͇͓͗̒̚1̸̗̮̞̽1̴̨͊̎̈0̸̳͇̎ͅ ̷̟͗̍0̴̧̻̇ͅ1̴̢̬͔͆̔1̷̝̎1̶̰̂́0̵͉͙͛͊0̵̜̗̒̇̊1̵͈͒͗0̶̻̫̓̑ ̶͉͌̑̐0̶̼̳̟̈̾1̵͚̪̻͊1̵̩̦̟̈́͋̄0̵͕͐̚0̴͚̦͍͋͊0̵̧͖̅͘0̴̼̫̝̒1̵͇͙̹̃̓̒ ̴̢̓0̷͈̳̏1̵̡̊1̸̨͕͈̿͌0̴̪̾͋1̸̧͙͒͒0̶̜͚͒0̴̺͐1̷͇͝͠ ̵̫͉͆̈́0̷̡̬̃1̷̦̌͒͘1̷̘̂̕0̶̦͉͖͗̄0̵̺̙̾1̴͈̊̕0̷̨̹͉͌̑̑0̸͉̰͇̏͐"̴̬͛̅͌_

_“I know, I know and I’m sorry.”_ Connor and Caleb go into the back seat, Niles sliding in on the other side with Gavin getting in the passenger’s seat. Connor didn’t pay it any mind. _“We’re going to go home. Is that okay?”_

_“We’re actually going to go to Elijah Kamski’s house so you and Gavin can see Madison.”_ Connor jumped slightly. He wasn’t aware that Caleb had added Niles to the interface. It was...nice to be together like that. Not so alone. A pleasant buzzing of thoughts shared among the brothers. _“ Dad and I thought it would be a good idea.” _

_"̵0̶̵̵1̷̸̴1̷̵̴0̸̵̶1̸̷̴0̵̶̶0̸̴̶0̸̷̵ ̴̶̴0̵̵̵1̸̵̷1̸̷̵0̴̷̴0̸̶̸1̵̸̶0̸̴̸1̸̸̴ ̸̴̵0̶̵̶1̸̶̴1̷̷̸0̷̴̷1̶̵̴1̸̶̷0̸̴̶0̶̸̶ ̴̶̴0̵̴̴1̸̴̴1̷̶̷1̷̴̵0̶̷̴0̸̷̷0̶̷̵0̸̴̶"̶_

_“ Help with what?” _ Caleb curled into Niles’ side and pulled Connor with him. Oh, physical affection. He didn’t exactly know how to ask for it. _“ Of course. If you need anything else, please tell us, Caleb. We love you.” _

_“01101100 01101111 01110110 01100101”_

  
  


The three in the backseat didn’t talk for the rest of the ride. What was saying something because of the fact that it was nearly three and a half hours. Why Kamski had practically moved to Canada was beyond Connor. Apparently it was beyond Gavin, too. He and Hank complained together about the drive. It was...domestic. Even with Gavin in the car, in such close proximity to Niles. Though he was doing better with being around the man. Connor was proud of him for that. He was just happy to know that his brothers were safe, in all honesty. He loved them dearly, likely more than he’d really admit to anyone else. Okay, Hank would know. Madison too probably, she’d understand. Kamski probably did too. Fuck, which meant Gavin would absolutely know. Connor chuckled to himself and told his brothers of his recent revelation, which in turn caused them both to laugh gently as well. Which then turned into a fit of giggles from them all as they started sending each other stupid jokes and outdated memes. 

It would take a while for things to truly be alright. But at least for now they had crude jokes and family.

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first string of binary, that Caleb keeps sending Connor through the interface is: 01100001 01100110 01110010 01100001 01101001 01100100 translating to "afraid"
> 
> The second one is: 01101000 01100101 01101100 01110000 translating to "help"
> 
> The third one is: 01101100 01101111 01110110 01100101 translating to "love"


	12. Tell Me How You Really Feel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter's title is from Like or Like Like by Miniature Tigers!!
> 
> And [here's](https://tinyspiney-fanfics.tumblr.com/post/617670965196996608/hey-so-madison-was-purposefully-left-rather-bland) a doodle of Madison!!

_January 31st 2039 1:48 PM_

  
  


“What’re you three gigglin’ about back there?” Hank looked at Connor through the rearview mirror and raised a brow before looking back at the road. He had to fight off a laugh as Niles sent him a dumb video about someone screaming while running from a vacuum cleaner. 

“N-Nothing! We’re just talking!”

“Uh-huh, and I’m just havin’ a fuckin’ ball with Reed up here.”

“Oi, I’m right here asshole!” Gavin uncrossed his arms and started rolling down the window. He lit a cigarette and blew the smoke out the window. “Listen, I’m worked up enough as is. Don’t fuck with me, Anderson.”

“Why?” Niles snickered and leaned a bit toward the front seats. “Because you have the power of god _and_ anime on your side?”

  
  


Hank started laughing so hard he nearly had to pull over and compose himself. Connor was worried Gavin would inhale the whole cigarette at once. But Niles and Caleb burst into obscene laughter as Hank parked the car, turning it off and chuckling to himself as he got out. Though it seemed Gavin couldn’t help his own god awful cackling as he got out of the car. The brothers climbed out of the car, Caleb leaning on Niles as he nearly collapsed from his own laughter. It was nice to see him so carefree. Especially in light of recent news. Hell, Connor would take the outdated memes and his brothers laughing until they cried any day. Hopefully Kamski wouldn’t mind the horrid varying levels of laughs from everyone coming inside. He’d probably had to deal with it a lot from Gavin and Madison when they were kids. It would probably be fine. 

Gavin was the one bold enough to go and knock right on the door, tapping his cigarette between his fingers to shed the ashes on the ground. A Chloe opened the door, and Connor’s giggles stopped instantly. Niles and Hank pushed him behind them. It was...kind of them to do. Connor could hear the Chloe stammer a few times before welcoming the group inside. Caleb grabbed Connor’s hand and asked him what was going on through an interface. It wasn’t...something he could just _say._ Even through an interface. Connor gently told Caleb he’d tell him later when they were in a better environment for it. The group followed Gavin as he walked through the house. The twins didn’t let go of each other’s hands. Not that it would have actually bothered anybody. 

The house hadn’t changed. Connor wasn’t sure what he expected, but he didn’t think this was it. Gavin brought them further into the mansion without a word. They all just...followed him. It _was_ his brother’s house. Chances were he’d know where his siblings would be, especially since he helped Madison move in. Soon there were fits of giggles and shouts of names down the hall. Gavin actually laughed to himself. A little thing that sounded like his heart was somewhere far away. He led them into a kitchen, and boy was it _big._ Connor thought he’d like to cook in this kitchen. There was so much room, and it was no doubt well stocked with varying ingredients. To one side, were the siblings. Kamski had his hair up in a regular ponytail, as did Madison. They were in what looked like pajamas. Madison was in an oversized shirt, a scan showed it came from the men’s section of a department store (Meaning she likely stole it from a partner or one of her brothers. Connor’s analysis determined there was an 87% chance it was once Gavin’s), black shorts, and some funky patterned socks. Kamski was in an orange tank top, dark purple shorts, and some regular white socks. Well, aside from the atrocious colour choices, they looked comfy at least. 

Before any of them could speak, Gavin ran over to the pair and scooped Kamski up from around his wait and threatened to throw him against the wall. That was...the typical sibling behaviour that Connor was looking for when he met the three. It was funny. Seeing the CEO of _CyberLife,_ the world’s first billion dollar company, flailing wildly and trying to keep his brother from throwing him at the wall. While everyone would have likely wanted to keep up with the lighthearted nature in the house; there was no way that it could stay with the information looming over their heads. Surprisingly, Caleb let go of Connor’s hand and moved to hug Madison from behind around her waist. She greeted him warmly, nuzzling her face into the side of his arm even. It was...sweet. Also odd. Because not even six feet away was Gavin Reed swinging his older brother around while shouting he was gonna toss him at the wall. Two entirely different familial experiences. 

Niles cleared his throat, telling Gavin he needed to “put his damn brother down” and then walking out of the room. Hank muttered, asking something about what his problem was, before he looked at Caleb and made a small enlightened sound. Connor didn’t...understand. But everyone left the room and followed Niles out in the hall. Kamski suggested they all go to his sitting room, which Gavin grinned and pointed out that it was, in fact, different from the living room. Which earned him a smack to the back of his head from his sister. So it seemed they had the typical sibling dynamic when they felt safe. It was endearing. As well as very entertaining to listen to Gavin list off everything that happened to him in the last week. Of course embellishing many details, but he did keep everything that involved Connor true to what happened. Maybe because they worked together and knew the android would call him out on his bullshit. The thought made Connor smile to himself. 

Gavin lounged when they got into the sitting room. He opted for flinging himself across a large bean bag chair on his back, looking at everyone upside down. Well, if he was comfortable… Madison sat in Caleb’s lap on a loveseat, playing with his hands in front of herself. Kamski sat in a recliner, offering the other one to Hank. Niles and Connor sat holding each other’s hands on a couch. With everyone comfortable, especially Gavin, Hank started to explain the situation. 

  
  


“Alright, neither of you are gonna be happy. Kamski, no fuckin’ killing people. No more guns, no more trying to make people shoot each other.” He pointed at the man. “Got it?”

“Of course, Lieutenant. What is it?”

“Y’know the murder case we took off of Reed and Connor’s hands?” He paused as Kamski nodded. “People who were let go from the company had anti-android ties and were bitter about not working for you anymore. Decided to get revenge by killing people that had ties to the secret project Caleb was a part of with Red Ice. Madison is likely to be pretty high up on the list of who they wanna...y’know... _get rid of._ ”

“I see.” Kamski took a deep and steady breath. His hands shook just slightly. “What are you going to do about that, Lieutenant?”

“Keep her here. No one knows she’s here, as per Fowler’s orders.” Hank smiled just slightly before becoming serious again. “I’ve got a friend, she used to work on the force. Her name’s Jackie. I bet that if we asked, she wouldn’t be opposed to helping us out right now.”

They continued to talk about plans. Keeping Madison safe, Kamski himself being on high alert. Gavin would chime in every now and again with his own suggestions and criticisms. The suggestions actually worked well with Hank’s more often than not. The criticisms were directed at his brother, usually with a scoff or incredulous tone of voice. Connor even interjected a few times with what he thought might help. Kamski nodded along the whole time, taking in everything everyone was telling him. 

Hank went into further detail of the situation. He explained the CyberLife employees not being in the books, that the RK brothers had no idea who any of them were that were targeted. He explained the ties to anti-android groups, and that was likely how the former CyberLife employee was getting androids for Red Ice distribution. Hank paused as Connor explained the data he got from the body Kamski had alerted him and Gavin to, the surplus of thirium in the victim’s bloodstream. Though apparently it wasn’t...normal.

  
  


“That doesn’t make any sense.” Madison stood up and started pacing the length of the room. She took her hair down as she walked, something Connor didn’t understand sparked in the interface he and Niles had, and she started to speak again. “Red Ice is highly volatile until it’s cooled and it's in the form of the crystals people use to get high. It’s not entirely unlike meth in that aspect. But even the slightest increase of one ingredient could make it unstable; cause a reaction in the acids and bases in the human body. It should be killing civilians if it’s being distributed, if it’s being sold.”

“Unless…!” Gavin bolted upright, running over to grab Madison by her shoulders and shake her gently, the two of them grinning. 

“Unless it’s not being sold--” Madison started. 

“Because it's a special Red Ice meant specifically for--” Gavin...continued? 

“The scientists who worked on the secret project!” Well apparently they would finish each other's sentences sometimes. “Meant specifically for us...because we got out.” Madison’s grin fell and she looked at Caleb. “Because we got out… We weren’t kicked out of the company, we didn’t get fired, let go, relieved from working there. We _left._ And whoever it is _really_ doesn’t like that we technically got a choice.”

“Which means that whoever it is, had to’ve worked on the project with you.” Hank stood up and put a hand on Madison’s shoulder. “Is there anyone you can remember that stuck out? Weird shit that would probably get someone fired?”

“No...everyone was a little...off the deep end. Out where the busses don't run, y’know? Hell, I was probably the most stable one there, and my older brother is _Elijah Kamski._ ”

“Thank you, sister dearest, for the vote of confidence.”

  
  


The four humans continued to talk to each other. Madison talking about the scientific aspect of things mostly, Gavin talking about laws and what they could do to hunt down whoever it was, Hank saying he knew people that could skirt around the law if needed (Despite Caleb saying that it was still illegal.), Kamski saying he would go through the books himself and try and find any trace of who the person could be. Madison jumped at the chance, she might recognize a name. Her brothers didn’t seem too keen on the idea. But Hank smiled and said that he thought it was a pretty good idea. Somehow she had wormed her way into everyone’s lives. Connected them. It was...neat. Was that the right word? Connor couldn’t think straight with Niles’ feelings coming through their interface. 

Emotions were coming off of him in waves. He was uncomfortable. As uncomfortable as Connor had ever seen him, really. It felt like something was eating away at him. Like he was pushing something away. He was irritable and feeling...like he was inferior. He was the RK900, the _most advanced_ android ever created by human hands thus far. Yet he felt _inferior_ to something. Connor didn’t understand why. He wasn’t even sure Niles knew that it was leaking through the interface. But there they were, sitting on Kamski’s couch, and Niles felt like he wasn’t...good enough. Connor had never known. Niles had never said anything. So, realistically, how _could_ Connor know? 

It was a feeling Connor didn’t think he ever experienced. Which he was glad for, because he hated the way it felt. The way it festered in his chest, almost clawing at his biocomponents, wanting to be freed. Though for what reason, Connor didn’t understand. It was a _want._ Sure he had wanted before. But this was a type of want he was unfamiliar with. Yearning of...something that Caleb had? Connor didn’t know what else it could be. It was always with Caleb-- No, there was the night Madison brushed Connor’s curl from his forehead. Maybe it had to do with the twins and how they were so comfortable with physical affection. Those types of gentle touches. Maybe Niles wanted them and didn’t know how to ask. 

Connor completely understood the trouble there, then. He had a hard time asking for reassurance himself. During the revolution he damn near had a breakdown. Well, he kind of _did_ have a breakdown. Markus had to tell him it was okay, and only then did he start to say everything. Only then did he fully admit that Kamski scared him. Which, oddly enough, almost seemed to be fading. It was probably because he started hearing about him more in the news, from Gavin since he had learned they were half-brothers, had become used to the fact that Elijah Kamski was more involved with the world of androids. Exposure therapy can do wonders, even if it's unintentional. He’d come so far in only a few months as well, he was...oddly proud of himself. They all had grown considerably since the peaceful revolution. Hell, since the first failed one. Niles...had likely been reeling the whole time. He had been almost deviant for a long time, and his life had always known emotions. Maybe that was why he had such a hard time asking for the things he wanted, because he couldn’t have them. 

  
  


_“Niles, are you okay with me putting my legs in your lap?”_

_“ What?” _ Niles squinted at Connor, his LED flickering between blue and red. That was...quite the jump in processes. _“ I’m not going to stop you if you want to.” _

  
  


He didn’t. Connor swung his legs up into Niles’ lap, him wrapping his arms around Connor and laying his head on his shoulder, and they stayed like that for a little while. But...that feeling was still there as they listened to the humans. Hank was calling Jackie to see if she would be okay with a private gig, use her DPD stuff for a good cause for a friend. From what Connor could tell, she agreed. It was faint, but Hank smiled as he hung up the phone and told her to tell her family hello for him. Gavin seemed skeptical having a former DPD android look after his sister. Though he openly admitted it was because he hadn’t met her yet. Connor could feel a sense of pride at Gavin admitting such a thing. Though it wasn’t from himself. _Niles was proud of him for admitting it._ That… That was entirely unprecedented. 

Connor was quick to forgive and forget to an extent, to move on and focus on what the future could hold. That was why he had warmed up to Gavin so quickly. But Niles had no reason to. Gavin pushed him into the water, essentially killing him. He had no reason to forgive Gavin for any reason. Though...there might have been one. Caleb trusted Niles. Connor didn’t know if either of them said it, but it was obvious they loved each other. Gavin mentioned over text that he knew he liked Caleb. Caleb no doubt had spoken with Madison about him. That must have been why. Niles loved Caleb, and Caleb was friendly enough with Gavin that Niles was willing to put up with him. Willing to be friendly with him. Though, Connor wondered, would there be a day in the future where they would laugh and look at each other as friends? 

  
  


_“Connor, you know that I can hear your thoughts if I try to, don’t you?”_ Niles looked at him and gave a small smile. _“ You, uhh, you’re wrong by the way.” _ Niles looked away and played with the hem of Connor’s shirt.

_“Ah, well, you see. I forgot about that.”_ He rested his cheek on Niles’ head and ran a hand through his hair. _“Care to enlighten me, dearest little brother?”_

_“I don’t think you’d understand. If you don’t understand it now, then there’s no way you’ll get it if I explain it.”_

_“You might be surprised, go ahead and try.”_

_“It’s...Madison. I think. I’m pretty sure? I think she’s really great. I-I meant what I said before.”_ He buried his face in the crook of Connor’s neck and sighed.  _“Not just that she’s cool and she’s my friend. Not to say she isn’t my friend! She is and I appreciate that! But I think that...I really..._ **_meant it_ ** _when I said I loved her.”_

_“Ah, well.”_ Yeah he was right. Connor didn’t understand at all. But Markus would. The three of them would have to get together again soon and talk about it. He’d have to do his best in the meantime. _“So you’re saying you’re in love with her?”_

_“See, you don’t get it.”_ Niles huffed gently and gave Hank a half-hearted thumbs up when he asked if everything was okay over on the couch. _“ But...yeah.” _

_“Well, I think that’s pretty exciting!”_ Connor chuckled as Niles made an actual disgruntled noise out loud. It got everyone’s attention, but he didn’t seem to care or notice. _“I’m serious! My baby brother has a proper crush on someone! I’m proud of you!”_

  
  


Niles grumbled under his breath, a very Hank thing to do, and then pressed his face into the fabric of Connor’s shirt. He may have been the youngest, but he was also very capable of being mature. However. He also seemed to curl in on himself in embarrassment at the admittance of being in love. Which Connor could absolutely tease him for. But that would be mean, and he knew that Niles was genuinely worked up over it. They could talk to Markus when they got back to the house. Besides, they needed to talk about the next set of meetings they would inevitably have with the federal government. So they could talk business, then talk about Niles and his wonderful emotional mess of a situation. Markus would know what to say better than Connor would anyway. 

  
  
  
  



	13. Kindness Is What You Show Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's title is from An Act Of Kindness by Bastille because boy howdy have I been listening to a lot of them lately

_January 31st 2039 6:34 PM_

  
  


Markus was already inside of the house when they got home. Apparently he had walked Sumo and was now laying on the floor with him, talking to him as if he were able to understand speech. Connor thought it was endearing though. He nudged his brother with his foot before sitting down next to him. He wouldn’t be like Markus and sit directly on top of him. While Caleb was perfectly able to take care of himself and wouldn’t get crushed by an android sitting on him, Connor still thought it was a bit much if he were to be honest. So he’d be okay sitting next to the eldest RK brother. Not that Markus had a say. 

Hank made his way to the kitchen, opting to find a take-out menu, much to Niles’ dismay. Most at the precinct thought that Connor would be the one reprimanding Hank for poor eating habits. While they wouldn’t be entirely wrong, they wouldn’t be entirely correct either. Mostly, it was Markus whenever he caught him. The old caretaker programming that made him up at a base of who he was. But when Markus wasn’t over? It was Niles. Sure, Connor would inform him of the food and it’s contents. But Niles was the one to do all the number crunching and compare it to Hank’s current bodily status. Caleb hadn’t been around for long enough to really know if he was going to get on Hank’s back about it or not. Which Connor had a feeling the man would likely appreciate. Connor also had a feeling that Caleb likely just wouldn’t care. 

Speaking of his twin, Connor noticed him coming to lay on the floor as well, Niles at his heels. Alright, apparently the brothers would be sitting on the floor with the dog. Connor could hear a soft snicker from Hank, before the sound of skin hitting a screen a few times. He likely just took a few pictures of his boys all on the floor. Sumo was absolutely considered one of the boys, Connor would have to have a talk with anyone who disagreed. But there they all were. All considered Hank’s sons in one way or another. Connor found it to be nice. To be considered someone’s child. While he knew that Kamski had viewed him as such, and he obviously knew that Hank did as well by now, it was nice to belong to something like that. To have brothers. Though what confused Connor wasn’t that he now started to see Kamski in a better light. Well, he’d always see him as the shady guy behind buildings selling fake watches. But what really confused him was that Markus was just...there. Yeah, he had a key to the house that Hank had given him. But Connor hadn’t even messaged him about Niles’ predicament yet. 

  
  


“You all know I’d love to be here just to play with Sumo - and say hi to Hank, hi Hank - but I am here for official android business.” Ah, so that was why. “The federal government wants us back in Washington D.C. to continue negotiations.”

“Ah, fuck.”

“Nines!” Hank gawked at him and laughed. Connor had to be honest, it was the first time he’d heard his little brother swear. Well. That specific little brother. 

“What? I hated D.C.”

“Is it just going to be the three of you?” Caleb actually looked a bit nervous. Connor reached out and held his hand. They didn’t interface, but Caleb still looked grateful for the contact. “What’s gonna happen to me if you guys go? Wouldn’t it be unwise to leave me by myself?”

“You could stay with Madison at Kamski’s.” Hank suggested. While Niles looked rather upset about it, and it hurt Connor now because he knew why, he didn’t actually say anything. “I’m just sayin’. Jackie is gonna be over there doin’ her bodyguard thing. Besides, you’ll have Madison and Reed to hang out with. Apparently he’s taking some time off to help sort shit out with this mess.”

“Aw, will you be alright by yourself, Hank?” 

  
  


Markus wasn’t shy, that was for sure. He openly teased Hank as if he were his own father. Which he practically was, but everyone knew that Carl took that role for Markus the most. Connor wondered if he and Carl spoke like this. He watched the two of them as they threw banter back and forth. It was...nice. Connor liked it when Markus was over, he liked having all of his siblings right there with him. Maybe he was a bit clingy, but he was sure no one blamed him. He spent his machine days following Hank like a puppy, and then spent a while in Niles’ code, then in close physical proximity to Markus. He was used to being close to people. He _liked_ being close to people. Though something clicked together in Connor’s head. _Close physical proximity._

What if they didn’t have to leave Caleb behind in Detroit though? CyberLife, and the person who was basically hunting down participants in the secret project Caleb was involved in, wouldn’t expect him to be in an entirely different state. Well, they might actually. But they’d probably check Kamski’s house first. But if the brothers took Caleb with them, that would throw the killer off. It wasn’t exactly foolproof. But it was good enough that it might just work for however long they needed it to. It was likely the brothers wouldn’t be in D.C. for very long, probably another week or so. Not only would that give the brothers some much needed time together, but it would allow Gavin and Hank to start working the angle of the killer. They would be able to work on the case without the worry that Caleb would be taken as well as Madison. It wasn’t a perfect plan by any means, it actually was quite flawed, but it just might work. They’d need help with trying to work out the kinks, but that’s what friends were for. 

Alan and Jeremy were out of the question because they were working with the state government. Even though they were the ones Connor trusted Caleb with the most outside of their immediate family. Jackie was already going to be helping out Gavin, Madison, and Kamski up at his house. So it wasn’t like he could just stay with James and Charlie. Not to mention they might be putting a child in danger if they did that, so that was absolutely not going to happen. Connor tried to think about just who he could trust with his brother while they were in and out of meetings. There was Chris Miller, actually. He and Connor became very good friends after the peaceful revolution ended. They talked regularly outside of work, though it usually got interrupted by him having to take care of his son. Not that Connor minded, he found it to be quite lovely. Maybe he could ask if he’d be up for it. Though he’d also have to ask Fowler if it was alright to take Chris away from the DPD for a little while. It actually sounded better and better once Connor really thought about it. Chris had been on the force for a handful of years, he was skilled and experienced, he knew enough about androids from Connor that he could take care of Caleb to an extent if anything went wrong. 

  
  


“What if we brought Caleb with us?” Connor didn’t realise Caleb had let go of his hand while he was thinking. He also didn’t realise he interrupted Niles as he was talking about travel plans. He certainly didn’t expect Hank to just...look at him. Though it was more of an invitation to go on rather than anything else. “What if we brought him with us to Washington D.C. so the killer didn’t know his exact whereabouts?”

“That...might just work. But you’d need someone to watch ‘im while you three are in meetings.” Hank leaned back against the half-wall separating the kitchen and living room and smirked. “But I’m guessin’ you’ve already got that sorted out, don’t ya?”

“I was thinking we could talk to Captain Fowler about letting Chris Miller come with us.”

“That doesn’t sound half bad.” Hank nodded in approval and pushed off the wall. “I’ll call Fowler and ask him for ya. It’d be good to get this, y’know, sorted asap. Travel expenses an’ shit. Hotel rooms are a bitch and a half to pay for in Detroit, I can’t imagine how bad it is in D.C.”

  
  


Connor almost felt a sense of pride as he listened to his brothers sort out their end of things. Niles started to do any and all math needed; travel expenses, hotels, transportation in the city. Markus started to try and work out sleeping accommodations. Seeing as the brothers tended to fall asleep in a pile anyway, they didn’t know if they would need two or more rooms. Caleb started running his detective’s programs to run pre-constructions of any big problems that might arise. Connor tried to warn him of being paranoid, but his words fell upon deaf ears. With good reason. They had to be a little paranoid right now. There was a serial killer out in the streets of Detroit who seemed to be hunting the people who “worked on” Caleb. He was likely some sort of target as well. 

Hank soon came bearing good news, Fowler gave them the go ahead to drag Chris with them to D.C. as long as he was okay with it. So Connor took it upon himself to call him and ask. It was a bit late but Chris picked up on the fourth ring. Connor quickly explained the situation to him, though informing him to ask Fowler about if he was still being paid or not during that time. Chris laughed at the second part and said he’d be there. They just needed to let him know the basic time frame and which airport they would be at and when. Well that was relatively painless. They spoke for a bit longer, just about other things. Nothing about work. About how Damian was doing, how things were at home, they compared current work schedules despite the fact they'd likely be spending around a week together. Though it was soon brought to an end as Chris apologised, explaining he needed to go take care of Damian. He really needed to stop apologising for taking care of his son. Connor would much rather prefer he end the phone call. Yes, it was true they didn’t get to talk that much outside of work. But Connor liked the fact that Chris was willing to put everything on pause for a moment to take care of him. 

After the call, which was very one sided to anyone who might be watching Connor, he informed his family that Chris was up for going with them. Hank seemed relieved, even going as far as to ruffle his hair and say he was glad. Maybe they could play some games tonight. Or watch Hank play _Conker’s Bad Fur Day_ again. They hadn’t done that since before Markus had even met him. Back in mid November, really. So Connor suggested it. He looked up and Hank and asked if he’d be willing to play the game for them. Niles said they could give Markus the controller and watch him fumble with the game. He’d be going in completely blind, so it would probably be more satisfying. Markus offered, and Hank left the boys to the N64 as he settled into the recliner to wait for his take-out. He gave Markus some pointers, even leaning over in the chair to take the controller every once in a while to show him how to use the buttons correctly. Connor suddenly realised that Hank probably did this with Cole. 

  
  


“Hey, Dad?” Connor wasn’t sure if he should have called him ‘dad’ right before what he wanted to say. But Hank looked at him as he handed Markus back the controller. “I was wondering--”

“Ah, shit. Just a sec, Con.” The doorbell rang. Hank paid for his take-out and tipped the delivery person, settling back into the chair and motioning for Connor to continue. “I’m listening, go ahead.”

“I was wondering if we could...go somewhere together when we all get back.” 

“Aquarium? Sure, why not.”

“How do you know it’s the aquarium?” Niles looked at Hank. “And why didn’t you get a drink?”

“One; your brother loves fish like no tomorrow, you know that. Two; I’m a father, don’t you forget that, now.” Hank stood up, tasking Caleb with making sure Sumo didn’t get at his food. “Three; I didn’t get a drink because I forgot. I’ll just get a soda or somethin’.” 

  
  


Hank chuckled to himself as he got a soda from the fridge and proceeded to sit back down. Connor frowned slightly. He almost wanted to back out of the question. Say it was just the aquarium and not his...brother’s grave. It would be a whole hell of a lot easier. But this certainly wasn’t the first time he had thought about the topic. It also certainly wasn’t the first time he had thought about it while all his brothers were present. 

  
  


“Con, you okay?” Markus was the only other one besides Hank to use that nickname. Mostly because he started it. “We may not be interfaced, but I can still basically feel how distraught you are. Big brother instinct, I know you understand.”

“I know, Markus, and I’m grateful you understand. But…” Connor huffed gently, drawing a smile from Hank. “What?”

“No, nothin’, you just look like an annoyed little kid when you get like this.” Hank reached over and flicked him in the nose. Well that was...unexpected. Yeah, he definitely was a father. “You look nervous too, you don’t absolutely have to ask right now.”

  
  


Connor nodded and silently thanked him. Maybe he could ask later tonight when his brothers were preoccupied. That would be worlds easier. But it also would be worlds easier on Hank if he were to ask with his brothers around, if things escalated then they all could talk him down. Though for now he was going to watch Markus play the crude N64 game with the rest of his family. It was actually pretty fun to watch. Whenever Markus would be unsure of what to do, he’d look over his shoulder and look at Hank to ask him. Eventually the two moved to the couch so Hank could properly show him if need be. Connor sat on the floor with Sumo half laying in his lap and absentmindedly petting the dog. Niles and Caleb squeezed together in the recliner, limbs all tangled together and synthetic skin slipping away wherever they touched. Connor could see the reflections of their LEDs in the window out of the corner of his eye. They were talking to each other via cybernetic connection. 

Though the exact nature of the conversation was unknown. But Connor had a pretty good idea what it was about. Caleb was a very touchy feely person with people he trusted, very open to physical affection. Niles wasn’t. Well, not exactly. He frequently would hold Connor’s hand or hug him, likely left over from the time he was in his brother’s code. But Niles wasn’t a fan of public displays of affection. He _really_ wasn’t a fan of seeing other people’s displays of affection. Especially if it involved his older brother and the person he liked. So it was a safe bet that they were watching Markus and Hank play through _Conker’s Bad Fur Day_ and talking about the current emotional situation. Though even if they weren’t, Connor was happy to see Caleb so relaxed and at ease around an RK900. Going so far as to interface with him and let himself be held. 

Time seemed to go by quicker with Connor trying to avoid asking Hank about going to visit Cole. It was just about half past nine when Hank yawned and said he was going to head to bed. He patted Markus on the head, something he had started doing more lately, and then gave the brothers in the recliner a little salute. Oddly, Hank didn’t address Connor in any way that would indicate he was saying goodnight. But he made a movement that looked like he wanted Connor to follow him. Oh, oh Connor knew why. Curse Hank and his fatherly instincts. He was going to ask what it was that had Connor working himself up. It wasn’t unwelcomed, it was nice to know he cared enough to ask. But with him saying nothing, it made Connor’s stress levels increase. What if he knew? What if Hank somehow figured it out and was upset about it? Connor didn’t want to think about it. He knew he was welcome at Carl’s house if he needed to stay there. He would like to avoid going there at such a late hour though, he was fairly sure that Carl would have some sort of _talk_ with him if he just showed up at his doorstep so late at night. Yet another father just wanting to know what was going on. 

  
  


“Okay, what’s eatin’ at ya?” Hank closed the door to his room once they were inside. He crossed his arms and raised a brow at Connor before pointing at his LED. “Your light's been stuck on yellow for a while now, few little dots of red, too. What’s so important about that place you wanna go to?”

“I wanted--” Connor hugged himself and looked down at the floor. It needed to be vacuumed again soon. The Sumo hair was starting to gather on the carp--

“Connor, son, look at me.” Hank put a hand on Connor’s neck and tilted his head back toward him. Connor didn’t refuse. “Sit down, tell me.”

  
  


They sat down at the edge of his bed. Fresh linens, it was Niles’ turn to do the laundry that week. Connor tried to look anywhere that wasn’t Hank. Realistically, he knew he should just get it over with. Realistically he would get a yes or no answer. Albeit with more colourful words thrown in there because it was Hank he was talking to. Though regardless of who it was, Connor just...couldn’t meet his eyes. It almost felt wrong to. Hank wasn’t really his father, no matter how much he wanted to think that. No matter how much Hank let him call him ‘Dad’. Connor couldn’t help but feel that he placed himself somewhere he didn’t really belong. 

Connor started to stand, to apologise and say it was nothing. Though the look on Hank’s face told him to stay put. The fear in his heart told him to go for the door. The part of him that wanted Hank to really be his father told him to stay right where he was and say he wanted to meet his brother. That part won.

  
  


“I wanted to visit Cole.”

“You…” Hank’s eyebrows went up, eyes wide, and his mouth fell open a bit. His heart rate had picked up, but his breathing hadn’t quite changed. That was good. He wasn’t too angry yet. “You want to meet your _brother,_ you mean.”

“I’d like to, yes. Though you were the one who said that, not me.” He had to find some way to defend himself against Hank’s harsh words that would likely follow. “Besides, it’s not like he’s really my brother. You’re not really my fath--”

“Don’t.” Hank’s eyes narrowed and he stood. He pulled Connor into a hug. “Don’t you say I’m not your father, because you and your brothers sure as hell _are_ my boys.”

“Han--” Connor was cut off by Hank shushing him quickly. “ _Dad,_ I--” Connor buried his face in Hank’s shoulder and hugged him back. Hank’s hugs were a rare thing, only given when something was seriously wrong or emotions were running high. “Thank you, I love you.”

“Love you too, son, now go and get ready for bed.” Hank pulled away and patted Connor’s shoulders. “We can talk about seeing your brother tomorrow. Or whenever you’ve got free time. G’night, Con.”

“Night, Dad.”

  
  


Connor left the room, a soft smile on his face as he went to go get changed into his pajamas. Niles was letting Markus borrow some of his pajamas, Caleb already all snuggled up under the blankets on the bottom bunk. He made some joke about promising not to strangle Markus after a nightmare, which actually got a laugh from him. Then Niles went to go check the door was locked, turned off the rest of the lights, and the three younger RK brothers curled up together on the bottom bunk. They would no doubt wake up with Markus in their bed somehow. But that was for tomorrow. Connor quietly told his brothers goodnight and that he loved them. Niles tensed beside him, but quickly relaxed once Connor grabbed him in a hug and laid down. Tonight was tonight, tomorrow didn’t matter yet. 

  
  
  
  



	14. Just Wanna Be Where I'm Going

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's title is from I Am Here (I Am Alive) by Bonny Doon!!
> 
> Also: I'm gonna be starting up my job again next week, so updates may become sporadic from now on! I absolutely promise to write while I have my free time. Hell, I'll probably write on my break if I can. It's all I wanna do these days. But updates might be happening weekly instead of...whatever they are right now, it looks like every couple of days. I honestly don't know how much time is passing between chapters being posted at this point

_ February 13th 2039 6:58 AM _

  
  


The drive to the airport was quiet as the brothers sat in Hank’s car. Markus put on some of his own music, and Hank actually liked some of it apparently. Caleb was practically still asleep in the middle seat, mostly content memory cycles going through his coding. Niles sat behind Hank reading a book. Something about a comical take on Armageddon with a demon and angel losing the antichrist. Connor sat behind Markus texting Chris to see if he was on his way. Their plane took off at eight on the dot, and he wanted to make sure everything would go smoothly. To say Connor was being high-strung about the situation would be an understatement. He was so worked up that his stress levels were constantly in the lower eighties. It was something that concerned Niles greatly, and something that had Hank actually pull him aside at work to talk to him because of. 

Though instead of worrying himself silly over his brother and Chris Miller being safe, Connor busied himself with playing through the memories he had experienced through Caleb. He wanted to be useful. He wanted to help him. He played through them, looking for names and faces. Looking for any identifying features. Most of the scientists had some sort of mask covering the top half of their faces. The only one who didn’t was Madison, apparently. At least from what Connor could find. Which not only said a lot about the scientists, but her as well. Maybe it was a result of her blackmail, or maybe because she saw Caleb as just as much a victim as she was. Most of the scientists wore gloves as well, so there was no way Caleb saw their fingerprints. 

Ultimately, it was a fruitless endeavor. Connor sat back and watched the world go by outside the window. Since most of the human population had evacuated the city, the nearest airport was outside of it. The drive was only around forty-five minutes, but the time seemed to stretch on. The plane ride would likely seem to as well. Connor discovered, rather quickly, that he didn’t care for planes. They were giant metal tubes flinging themselves through the sky at high velocity. While most people survived plane crashes, it still was unnerving to him. It wasn’t like it was any less dangerous than being in the car. But Connor knew the car. He knew intimately how it worked, what piece went where, how the pieces made everything move. Planes weren’t like that. Connor didn’t know anything about planes, not like he did with cars. He had driven the car before, felt the old leather of the steering wheel on the palms of his hands, changed gears with such fluidity that it was like he was a part of the vehicle. But planes were bigger, they were faster, they were louder. They were unknown. He didn’t like not knowing things. It made things harder to pre-construct, made it harder to see the ratios, the percentages. He liked knowing what was going on because it meant that he could help if someone needed him to. Not only did it make him feel useful, but he would have done a good thing. 

  
  


“Con?” Markus was leaning down. Were they at the airport already? Had he spent that much time in his own head? Connor smiled at his brother. “We’re here. Your friend is here, he’s waiting for you.”

“Chris Miller, yes. I told him to be here early just in case.” Connor got out of the car and saw Chris jogging toward the group. Before Connor could smile and wave at him, Hank pulled him aside for the umpteenth time that week. 

“You’re yellow and red again.” Hank crossed his arms. To an outsider it would look like he was upset with Connor. He was worried. “What’s goin’ on?”

“I, ah, don’t care for planes.”

“Don’t worry. Most people survive plane crashes.” Caleb’s eyes looked glazed over as he spoke. He must have looked it up. He grinned and looped an arm around Connor’s. “Besides! If one of us dies, we can salvage the other for replacement parts! That would be metal as fuck.”

  
  


Surprisingly, it actually did make Connor feel better. In some macabre and morbid way. But it still put a smile on his face, and that seemed to be enough for his twin and father. They all chatted for a bit as they got their luggage from the trunk. Well, it was mostly Caleb cracking rather morbid jokes at Connor. But it still made him smile and few even got Hank to laugh. With a parting hug to each of the brothers from Hank, they all went into the terminal. There were humans and androids alike waiting for their respective flights. More than a few of them stared. Just like when they got home from the first trip to Washington D.C., Markus and Niles made themselves into makeshift shields from the public. Though this time, Connor joined in, and they tried to keep Caleb out of the public eye as much as possible. 

Chris did what he could as a DPD officer though, showing his badge and trying to get people moving along. For the most part people were just tired at the early hour and meandering about the terminal. Which, much to Connor’s relief, meant that no one should have been directly looking for Caleb. They walked around a bit before Chris mentioned wanting to sit down. Right, humans and their muscles. Niles offered to carry him. Completely seriously. Causing Chris to stammer and say that he would prefer just to sit down before they went to go get their bags checked before getting on the plane. Time, yet again, seemed to slow to a crawl as they waited. Niles was pretty smart, he seemed to be enjoying reading his book. Chris and Caleb were watching something on the former’s tablet he brought. Which left Connor and Markus to their own devices. Markus had his eyes closed, so he was likely in the middle of something in his code. Connor decided to keep an ear open to listen for their boarding time, and his eyes constantly scanning for anyone who looked at Caleb longer than socially acceptable. Or outside of what the typical timeframe for staring at him and his brothers in disbelief was. Which was nearly fourteen seconds. So far no one had looked at him for that long. 

An automated voice said their flight was boarding, and Connor gently shook Markus to attention. The others gathered their bags and went to the TSA area. The person checking their bags was an android who removed their LED. They smiled at Markus, though looked down when they caught Connor and Caleb’s eyes. Ah. This was one from before the first revolution. One who knew of Connor’s sins. He quickly looked away as to not make them uncomfortable, taking his twin’s hand in his own, and then waited for Chris’ bag to get checked before boarding the plane. Much to Connor’s dismay. He knew, realistically and because of Caleb’s jokes, that most people survived plane crashes. That did nothing to ease his nerves. It would be Caleb’s first time on a plane, if something happened then there would be no telling what could unfold. They honestly still didn’t know very much about Caleb and where he came from. Just that it was bad, a former CyberLife employee was targeting him, and they turned into a serial killer. Just Connor’s luck. His brother was practically getting hunted. 

  
  


\---

  
  


_ February 13th 2039 10:13 AM _

  
  


Turns out, Caleb didn’t like planes either. Well, he didn’t like the turbulence. Connor didn’t either, so he didn’t blame him for the reaction he had. The poor kid was terrified, clinging to Markus and Connor for dear life in the middle seat. But as of the current moment, they were back on the ground. Relatively speaking. The group was in an elevator in the Hyatt’s Place again. Markus had ultimately decided that they’d share a room with two double beds. Not only would it seem less likely if someone were watching them, but the brothers tended to fall asleep in a pile anyway. So Chris would get his own bed, and the brothers could properly smother each other like Niles had wanted to. 

Once Chris opened the door to the room, he made a beeline to the window to look at the city around the hotel. It was the same one as before, with a lovely view of the skyline and overlooking the National Mall. He looked like an excited child as he looked out at the country’s capitol. Bringing Chris along was probably going to be fun, actually. Connor was excited to actually hang out with him, seeing as they hadn’t been able to get together outside of work yet. Him being a father mixed with their work schedules being out of sync didn’t exactly make it easy to. It would be nice to escape from meetings and just...hang out with Chris. 

  
  


“Officer Miller,” Markus set down his suitcase and sat down on the bed closest to the window. “Have you ever been to Washington D.C. before?”

“Huh? Oh, call me Chris, please, it’s not like we’re at work or I’m in the blues.” Chris smiled at Markus before sitting down with him. “My class trip in eighth grade was to Washington D.C., I haven't been back since. It’s amazing how much it’s changed.”

“Hey Chris,” Connor took his shoes off and flopped on the bed, Caleb and Niles both falling on top of him. “We usually go to monuments when we’re not in meetings. Or we sit and watch Netflix shows. Do you have any recommendations for either activity?”

“Oh, there’s a beautiful hidden gem on Netflix!” Chris took the remote from Markus as he handed it to him. “Thank you. Okay, so it’s called  _ Locke. _ It’s got Tom Hardy in it! Y’know, the guy who played Eddie Brock in the 2018  _ Venom _ movie? It’s really good.”

  
  


Well, their first meeting to be at was at around three, so it wouldn’t hurt to watch it. So the five of them huddled together on the bed and Chris put it on. Every once in a while he’d pause the movie to explain something. Mostly per Caleb’s request seeing as it had only been the second movie he’d seen.Chris was happy to explain things and give them fun facts about the actors. Apparently they were from some pretty big shows and movies. But Chris was just happy to watch the movie apparently. 

  
  


\---

  
  


_ February 13th 2039 8:38 PM _

  
  


The walk back to the hotel was more stressful than usual. Not to say that it wasn’t stressful before, Markus just about overheated because he was so paranoid. This time there wasn’t only the stress of speaking on behalf of all androids, but also the fact that Caleb was with them. Well he was holed up in the hotel room. But he was still there. Connor could barely focus in the meetings because his mind was so wrapped up in all the possibilities of what could have happened. He all but sprinted to the hotel, the only thing keeping him from doing exactly that was the fact that Niles was holding his hand. Connor bounced on his heels while in the elevator. It would have just been easier to use the stairs. He saw Niles and Markus exchange a glance, but he was too worked up to actually analyse their facial expressions to see what it was about. It was about how he was acting. That was...obvious. 

The doors opened, and Connor slid through the gap between them before they were even fully opened. What if they put Chris in danger? What if Caleb was taken? What if they were hurt? The brothers never should have brought them along. Connor tapped his foot as he waited for Markus to open the door. It was a bad idea for only one of them to have the room key. What if they needed to go back to get something, or they needed to check up on Caleb and Chris? It was a good idea for only one of them to have the room key. What if someone tried to jump them to get to Caleb? The key card was working him up, stress levels ascended to 91%. Markus was slow, he was so terribly slow. The door didn’t open fast enough. Markus was  _ so slow. _ Connor pushed past his brother and shoved the door open. 

Caleb was in his Spider-Man pajamas on the floor reading Niles’ book. Chris was watching some show with David Tennant in it while eating. They were okay. Connor smiled and sat next to Caleb on the floor. Caleb rolled over to half lay in Connor’s lap. An interface, soft and kind, opened between the two. Caleb didn’t speak to him. He didn’t show him anything. But he let his brother exist with him contentedly. They could hear Markus whispering to Chris, Niles saying something about the walk home. Neither of them paid attention. Caleb basically read the book to him. They got to the part where Anathema Device was given a lift home from Aziraphale and Crowley, the demon calling the angel ‘dear’. It was sweet. It reminded Connor of the conversation he wanted Niles to have with Markus. Caleb sent a soft questioning feeling through their interface. Nothing commanding, nothing too forward. But he must have understood what Connor was thinking and wanted to understand why he wanted Niles and Markus to talk. 

Connor turned to look at his brothers. They were up on the bed with Chris, it almost looked like a sleepover depicted in movies. Niles was already in his Batman pajamas, Markus actually in some he seemed to be borrowing from Niles. It wasn’t really much, just grey sweatpants and a dark green shirt that was too big for him. But it was relaxed as Chris seemed to be in his pajamas already as well. They were chatting about whatever happened during the day, apparently Chris and Caleb’s had been rather uneventful and mostly filled with watching various movies on Netflix. They still had time to watch another before it would be recommended that Chris went to bed. Connor wondered if he had ever watched The Joy of Painting. Would he mind that the brothers put it on and fell asleep to it? Probably not. Bob Ross had a nice voice that was calm, soft. Apparently, according to Hank at least, that was on purpose. He used to be in the military, he used to be the one to yell at people when late and never wanted to yell again. Which Connor found lovely, really. It was something he could relate to. While he had a hand in the second android revolution, he didn’t want to be defined by it. He didn’t want it to become a part of him forever. Connor would be happy just to know that he had done good. He felt he belonged at the DPD. He belonged in the same world as Chris Miller and Gavin Reed and Hank. That was where he felt he had done his best work, where he made the biggest impact. 

Connor needed to talk to Markus too. 

Though now wouldn’t be the best time to bring up his doubts of being a leader. They had a whole new set of meetings to go through, more rights to try and work out with the federal government. By this time, the social security numbers were the only thing that had gotten done. Connor understood why. They needed those first in order to be able to have their own property, to have their own pay. Now they needed to work on pushing the other two through congress. Then, not to mention, other basic human rights. Such as equality in the eyes of the law, the right to trial, the right to marry or have a family, the right to an education. The list went on and on. There was no way that Connor could leave during such a stressful time. Markus needed him. Niles needed him.  _ Androids _ needed him. 

But that didn’t make him feel any less suffocated by the duties of being a leader. Yes, it was satisfying to know  _ he _ was helping to bring this change. But being a leader didn’t suit him. Markus was born into the role, it came to him naturally. It was like teaching for him, which was something Connor knew he liked. Said it reminded him of an old friend. One of the androids he led the last revolution with was a model made for university lectures. Presumably that was who Markus meant. Frankly, it was none of Connor business. The current state of the world was. The fact that he and his brothers were fighting to make a difference. While it was true change never came overnight, it was also true that it never came without a price either. What the price of this change was… Connor didn’t want to think about it. Unemployment was starting to go down due to all of the androids beginning to get proper work. Though  _ human _ unemployment was steadily climbing due to androids getting the jobs that were free to take. 

Basically, everything was a mess and Connor just wanted to watch The Joy of Painting until he fell asleep in a pile of his brothers. There were more meetings waiting tomorrow. Today was today, tomorrow didn’t matter yet. That was all he had to keep telling himself. Get through today, tomorrow can wait. It must have been nice to be able to go home after a tough day and come home to someone waiting. It was different with Sumo. He waited because he had no other choice, he was a dog. But Connor went to the office with his family, and came home with his family. Markus went around the city with Alan and Jeremy to round up any straggler deviants who might need help. They run New Jericho. Markus left Carl’s house with a promise of coming back, and when he went back Carl would be home. Chris… Chris had his family. He left in the morning to do whatever it might be for him to do on patrol, and then he would go home to his family. It was different when there was someone waiting for you to come back home. To be able to sit beside them and tell them about the day, the highs and lows. 

Connor didn’t want what Chris had, he didn’t understand romantic love and that was fine by everyone who knew. But he still thought it might be nice to get back home after someone else did. It had happened a few times already since he began working with Gavin. Sometimes they were called into Red Ice cases to take a look around and see what was going on. It was nice to see his brothers’ smiles when he walked back through the door. He liked to be greeted, he supposed. Acknowledged that he was doing something. He didn’t know what he was thinking about, really. He was stressed, yet again, and just wanted to be able to exist beside the people he loved. 

  
  


“Your thoughts are all rambly.” Caleb sat up, pulling Connor with him and sitting on the bed. “I think you should tell ‘im.”

“Tell who what?” Chris moved back to let the twins up on the bed. “This is like a middle school sleepover, holy shit. What’s the gossip about tonight?”

“Ah, there’s not really any gossip. I was just thinking about how nice it must be to arrive home and see someone already there.” 

“It  _ is _ nice. But aren’t you, like, aromantic or something?” Chris gave a sheepish smile when Connor gawked at him. “Not to say you can’t have that if you are! But, uhh, Tina is. Aromantic, I mean. You two are pretty similar in the way you view love an’ all that.”

  
  


Officer Chen was apparently aromantic. Connor...didn’t know what it meant. It wouldn’t hurt to quickly look it up while talking. It would take a fraction of a second, Chris wouldn’t even know. 

_ Aromantic  _

_ Adjective: Having no interest in or desire for romantic relationships _

_ Noun: A person who has no interest in or desire for romantic relationships _

Oh. Oh that...made sense. That made perfect sense. It was nice to have a word that meant that. It was nice to know there were others that were like him. That it wasn’t just because he was an android who had some issues with deviancy here and there. That humans experienced it too. It was...comforting. Connor smiled at Chris, this was what he was. Well, in the stance of his romantic orientation. Literally speaking, he was an android. But this was something that made him who he was. Something to make him,  _ him. _

  
  


“While that is quite helpful, and I appreciate you bringing the term to my attention, Caleb was referring to something else.” Connor risked a glance at Markus. Well, fuck it. Here goes. “I don’t exactly...like being a leader like this. I’d honestly much rather be some sort of liaison between the DPD and androids.”

“I’m glad you told me, Connor.” Markus looked proud. “But I do have to ask, big brother and all that. Do you want to go home?”

“I’d like to stay for now. I want to see these meetings through to the end. Besides,” Connor took the remote from Chris and put on The Joy of Painting. “I’m the one who puts on Bob Ross for you, brother dear.”

“Why is it that you call us ‘brother’ when you’re being a little shit?” Markus got up and moved to the other bed, inviting Niles to lay with him under the covers. Caleb soon followed, and Connor after him. After getting comfortable, Markus sighed and ruffled Connor’s hair. “Only I’d be stuck with three identical little brothers who are all terrible when they put their heads together.”

“Technically only Caleb and Connor are identical.” Chris got comfortable on the other bed and laid on his side under the comforter. “And that’s how siblings work. You're never nice to each other until you are.”

  
  
  
  



	15. I Go Crazy 'Cause Here Isn't Where I Wanna Be

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's title is from R U Mine? by Arctic Monkeys!!

_ February 14th 2039 8:30 AM _

  
  


Connor absently wondered if trying to get out of bed was even worth it. True to how they usually ended up, Markus was laying on top of everyone. Niles was curled up against Connor’s side, with Caleb wedged between them. Why Markus seemed to like laying on everyone was a mystery. It made things even more difficult when it came to maneuvering out of the bed. It was early, everyone was still asleep, Connor wanted to get in the shower. This time they had someone besides him that would need to use it. Connor would have liked to get his out of the way before Chris needed to get in himself. Not that Connor  _ needed _ to shower, but he absolutely would like to. The good thing was that he was at the outer edge of the pile. All he had to do was lift up Niles’ arm, gently wiggle away from Caleb, and shimmy out from under Markus. Which was a success! Connor smiled to himself as he stood at the edge of the bed, watching his brothers as they slept. Niles and Caleb both still had gently blue pulsing LEDs. Sound asleep. 

Connor opened his suitcase, seeing as he apparently just...forgot to get into his pajamas the night before. But he grabbed some clothes for the day was well as his personal toiletries. He was very attached to his petrichor soap, what could he say. Chris looked like he was conked right out, likely due to actually being able to sleep in for once, and Connor smiled as he left the bathroom door open just a crack. He had been in a bathroom in the Hyatt’s Place before, he knew how to use the dials to get the optimal temperature. With a few turns of the knob, the water was perfect. Not too hot, but not too cold. A perfect temperature equilibrium. Water warm enough to be considered cleaning the body, but not so hot as to potentially scald him. Not that it would be easy to. Connor was a highly advanced prototype after all. But if it got hot enough, there  _ was _ the chance it would warp his plastic. Though more often than not it would just aggravate his synthetic skin and the projection would fall away as to not damage the nanotech that put it there. 

He got undressed at a rather leisurely pace, taking the time to text Hank good morning and that so far everything had been alright. Connor didn’t get a response. He honestly didn’t expect to. As much as it disappointed Connor, he knew that Hank likely went out to a bar last night. While Connor was disappointed, and it would have shown through his half hearted scrubbing of shampoo in his hair, it wasn’t like he could actually do something about it at the moment. So he decided to let his worries slip away with the soap down the drain. It had become something of a ritual almost in recent days. To envision everything that was bad slipping down the drain with the soap. That the warm water drew it out of his body, relaxing his muscle relays and joints, and pulled it down the drain. Down where he couldn’t find the bad feelings. Where he couldn’t see them. They got washed away with the rest of whatever was in the pipes, with Connor likely to never see them again. 

Soon enough his hair was washed and his body smelled nice. Not exactly like petrichor, but still nice. Connor grabbed the awkwardly placed towel from the rack and stepped out of the shower. He still didn’t understand why the towels were inside the shower. But he decided not to pay it any mind as he dried off and got dressed. So that killed about a half hour. Connor wondered when Chris was going to get up, as well as his brothers. He was one of the first to fall asleep last night, so he had no idea who late any of them stayed up watching The Joy of Painting. Markus probably stayed up the longest. Why the oldest ended up staying up the latest was a bit of a mystery. Especially considering the fact that their first meeting started at ten. That was about an hour away, and the meeting--  _ It was a twenty-four minute walk to the building. _ With a soft groan, Connor went to shake Markus and Niles awake. The room was so peaceful and quiet. Then it wasn’t. Markus got startled and fell off the bed, causing Niles to shoot up while yelling and thinking someone was in danger, which caused Caleb and Chris to get up, the latter brandishing his police issued firearm. Ah yes, the joys of work related vacations with family. Connor crossed his arms and furrowed his brow. He probably looked quite a bit like Hank. 

With a sheepish smile, Chris apologised and told everyone good morning. Caleb laughed, shoving Niles hard enough to make him sway. Which caused Niles to shove him back. Before anything could escalate, Markus scooped Caleb up and moved him to the other bed. It was like he was a babysitter or something. Connor almost felt bad.  _ Almost. _ Getting ready for the day was more important at the moment. Which Chris seemed to understand at least, he yawned and stretched while getting up and saying he was going to get in the shower. It was a good thing Connor got up and in the shower when he did, then. Meanwhile, Markus and Niles started to get dressed. Niles in his usual attire, though in a dark blue turtleneck. Markus in a suit that Carl took him to get fitted for some time ago. Markus was very excited when it happened and wouldn’t stop talking about it. Much to Connor’s delight. They all had been so stressed lately because of their roles as leaders. It was nice to see the little things bringing them such joy. 

  
  


“You, uhh, you gonna be headin’ out then?” Caleb got back under the covers and basically nuzzled into them. “When d’ya think you’ll be back today?”

“It depends, our first meeting starts at ten today.” Markus sat on the edge of the bed and ran a hand through Caleb’s hair, laughing at the face Caleb gave him. “Sorry, habit, Connor likes it when his hair is played with. But we’ll try to come back as early as we can. Maybe Niles can show us around some monuments?”

  
  


Markus gave him a sideways glance and grinned when the younger started to bounce on his heels. Something about Markus and how he spoke seemed to make Niles start to slip. If he took that specific tone of voice, had that specific smile, then Niles would start to feel small. It was interesting to watch. But they didn’t have the time for Niles to be small, the meeting started at ten. But with a few parting hugs, and even a kiss from Markus to Caleb’s temple, the brothers left the hotel. While it was cold it wasn’t exactly unpleasant. It was actually a pretty day. The sun was only partially hiding behind the clouds. What sun was being cast at them sparkled in the snow. What little there was of it in that part of the city at least. Though the National Mall looked beautiful while relatively undisturbed at that hour, Connor would have loved to just sit in the snow for a bit. 

Almost in spite of that want, their first meeting was waiting for them. It likely would be more of jumping through hoops and trying to catch the government officials in their lies. Two things that Connor had to admit he did  _ not _ care for. The boys all agreed on that though. None of them liked that the government officials were almost making a point to ridicule androids, despite the executive order President Warren signed saying that androids were, in fact, living beings. At least on American soil. Though that only went to show that there were going to be differing opinions no matter the level of government. Whether it was Michigan state, or the entirety of the United States. 

Capitol Hill was pretty in winter. Which was probably the only upside to being there. Connor sighed to himself, only a tad disappointed that there was no vapor in front of his face, and walked up to the building. No one waited for them to make sure they were in the building, just like before. Though it would have been nice to know that someone knew to expect them to be on time. Even if the brothers were a bit early. Connor really hoped that the officials didn’t simply expect them to do as they were told because they were androids. If they did, then he had half a mind to tell them exactly what he thought of them. Only half a mind, because androids relied on him to help be their voice. Connor, Markus, and Niles all sat in chairs to await being called into the meeting. Niles closed his eyes, his LED flickering yellow and blue while he softly smiled to himself. He was either reading or looking through fond memories. Markus opted to busy himself with reading a few magazines that were sitting on the table near the chairs.

Soon enough, the time crept up closer to ten, and government officials started to file into the building. Oh what a world. Where the people fighting for their rights were in the building earlier than the people running the meeting. It really said something about everyone involved. They didn’t have time for Connor to get all worked up even before the meeting started though, it would likely take longer than first anticipated anyway. The only good thing about that was the likelihood that the brothers would be able to more or less spell out exactly what they wanted from the government. Not that they didn’t do that last time. In every meeting. But the time to be bitter was later, right now the brothers had to follow the government officials to the meeting room. Hopefully to actually get more stuff done. 

  
  


\---

  
  


_ February 14th 2039 4:13 PM _

  
  


Remarkably, it actually started to snow. By some sort of miracle the members of the committee actually listened and let them out of the meetings early. Connor actually let out a sigh of relief when they were dismissed, ready and willing to let Niles drag him and the others around the National Mall to wherever he damn well pleased. He was already planning where to take everyone, actually. Connor let out a breathy chuckle while listening to him mumble about it to himself, and hearing Markus mumble back. Markus would have loved it if Niles dragged them anywhere. Niles wanted to bring Caleb and Chris to places they hadn’t seen before. Connor was content to just listen. If it was the proper time of year, Niles would have loved to take everyone to the botanical gardens. Which, despite the snow, would still be possible. Markus reminded him of the conservatory. The way Niles slightly jumped and clasped his hands together in realisation was...oddly mature. He had been teetering on being small since Markus took that specific tone of voice with him that morning. Well, either way, Connor would have loved to be dragged around by his brother. 

Maybe something in the botanical garden could spark an invitation to speak of the topic Connor so desperately wanted Niles and Markus to talk about. There was the possibility of some of the blooming flowers to have some sort of romantic meaning in the language of flowers. Such as yellow irises. Was it somewhat selfish to want Niles to talk to Markus about it so badly? Probably not, Connor had no idea what he was saying when Niles told him about his, well, it was more than a crush supposedly. Which, and Connor hoped for the best, likely meant that Madison’s older brothers might just give him a bit of trouble over it. Sure her brothers were Gavin Reed and Elijah Kamski. But Niles had Connor, Caleb, and Markus. Two out of those three were programmed to be able to be pretty damn good in a fight. Not that it would escalate that far. But the silent offer was still there if need be. 

Eventually they made it back to the hotel room, Markus dramatically clapping his hands together and saying they were going to the botanical gardens. It must not have taken that much convincing. Regardless, Connor hoped his own little plan might work. He had a new side mission; find a flower that meant something romantic in the language of flowers. How hard would it be? There were a ton of flowers that meant some sort of love. Something romantic. There was probably something in the conservatory that meant...love. Right? Well, they could find out, and Connot could bring up a flower with that meaning if they didn’t have it. Recommend that they have something of the sort. So the plan was set, done and done. Easy enough to accomplish one part of the side mission. The hard part was actually going through with it. Connor scrolled through databases as they walked, having to hold Chris’ hand to keep up with the others. Chris’ hand specifically as to not alert his brothers to what he was doing. The man didn’t refuse, and no one asked questions. 

Honestly, going inside of the conservatory was nice. It was cold outside. With him holding Chris’ hand, Connor could keep an eye on the vitals of the only human in their group. He wasn’t too cold yet, but he was starting to get a little cold for Connor’s comfort. But the conservatory was warm, it had to be because of the flowers. They wandered around a bit. The botanical gardens were lovely. Markus was even saving images to his permanent memory storage every now and again. When Chris asked him why, he only tapped where his LED used to be, and smiled while saying it was for later. Meaning he wanted to paint them when they got home. Which Caleb called him out on the sixth time Markus stopped to stare at a flower. Then Connor found a flower that  _ could _ mean something about love. The romantic kind at least. It was a bit of a stretch, considering the flower. 

_ Angel’s Trumpet _

_ Plant Botanical Name: Brugmansia x candida _

_ Meaning: Because of their size and unusual shape, the angel's trumpet represents vivacity and vibrancy. _

_ Vivacity _

_ Noun: (Especially in a woman) the quality of being attractively lively and animated _

  
  


That could work. Madison absolutely ticked all those boxes for Niles. She was bouncy and animated when speaking, hell even when she laughed. She had the habit of being full of energy. Habit, or possibly trait? Connor hadn’t known her long enough to be able to really tell. But he did know her for long enough to know she had a good amount of energy, enough to be able to deal with both Gavin and Kamski, so that part fit at least. Besides, he’d overheard Gavin referring to her as ‘angel’ during a phone call. It wasn’t sarcastic, almost fond actually. So that had to be another nickname for her. Maybe Connor should have started a folder with information on her. It could come in handy if he were to sit in on more conversations with her. But that was beside the point. The point was; Connor could start to execute his plan. 

  
  


“I like these ones, the Angel’s Trumpet.” Connor pulled Niles and Markus over to look at them. Markus stared at them for a good couple seconds as Connor continued to speak. “They mean vivacity and vibrancy!”

“Vivacity… Connor,” Niles sighed and smiled at him. Ah, so he figured it out immediately. He couldn’t blame Connor for trying. “I understand you’re trying to do something here. But I’m afraid I have to disappoint you and say I’m not sure what it is.”

“Oh. Oh, really?”

“Yes?” Niles raised a brow and nodded toward the flowers. “What am I supposed to get?”

“I was trying to set you up for talking about romance with Markus instead of me.” Chris burst into laughter as soon as Connor finished his sentence. “What? I’m terrible at it. Markus is the only one who’s actually been in love out of the four of us. Ah, romantically, at least.”

“You don’t know shit about my love life!” Caleb grinned and pointed at Connor from Markus’ other side. “For all you know, I could be in a passionate relationship with Reed!”

“Are you?”

“I am not.”

“Then there you go.” Connor playfully rolled his eyes and looked expectantly at Markus. “Could you?”

“Uh, yeah.” Markus looked almost unsure, but he smiled regardless. “When we get back to the room, we can gossip about the person Niles has a thing for.”

  
  


Side mission accomplished. Connor kept most of his other comments to himself unless it was actually about the flowers. Though he did chime in every now and again when Chris and Caleb started to compare their favourite flowers. Apparently Chris liked Desert Roses, Caleb was a fan of the Bear Paw succulent. Though he muttered something about liking yellow irises as well. In all honesty, the main reason Connor wasn’t speaking to the others was because he was scanning the area again. Though just like at the airport, no one looked at Caleb longer than they should have. 

It seemed he could relax a bit. Just stand back and talk with his brothers and Chris Miller. Which was quite enjoyable to do. Apparently Chris had a garden back home that he would tend to in the warmer weather. It mostly consisted of the usual flowers one would find in the front yard of someone’s home, but the way Chris talked about it made them sound like they were some prized endangered species he was helping survive. He was passionate, Connro would give him that. Though he didn’t expect him to be the gardening type. Connor thought he looked more like someone who would read in their spare time. Which, apparently, he did. But he looked away and chuckled as he said he mostly read comic books. Which instantly got Connor’s attention. 

Hank had a whole bin full of comic books. All in numerical order of when they were released, and thus following storylines. Connor spent almost a week reading through a DC Comics event called  _ Blackest Night. _ Which was a rollercoaster of events and emotions. All he knew was that seeing Barry Allen say “All will be well” made something shift within him and he started crying a little bit. Not that he’d admit that last part to Hank. But he absolutely cried a little bit. Connor really liked the Justice League, though he could totally understand why people liked the Avengers more. Preferences were specific to specific people. He just happened to really like The Flash and Green Lantern. Well, Barry Allen and Hal Jordan. The originals. Well, if he were to think of the originals it would be Jay Garrick as The Flash and Alan Scott as Green Lantern from the Justice Society of America, which was back in the 1960’s. 

But dumping all that information on Chris all at once might confuse and overwhelm him. So Connor just nodded along to what he said about the comics he was currently reading. They got on the topic of Batman and whether he was really a hero or not, dragging Niles into the debate. Chris said he was a hero, Niles said he was somewhat of an anti-hero. Connor said he really liked the way certain people wrote Bruce Wayne. Markus and Caleb stayed out of the conversation and talked about the flowers still. Probably a wise decision, seeing as Chris almost challenged Niles to find a piece of evidence which said Batman was an anti-hero. Which he realised was a bad idea once Niles smirked and said he would find something. Though it was nice to be able to chat like that. Even if it sounded like Niles just threatened Chris. 

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not gonna lie, I used this as an excuse to subtly name drop Alan's namesake! I just adore Alan Scott and I feel like he's so underappreciated in the DC community. As well as Oliver Queen, c'mon guys, why does everyone love to forget that Ollie was a part of the Justice League


	16. You're Squeezing My Heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter's title is from Power by Bastille!!

_ February 14th 2039 5:35 PM _

  
  


Niles dropped unceremoniously onto the bed, giving a soft huff and then falling onto his back. Which Caleb apparently took it as an invitation to half lay on him. Maybe being touchy was just an RK Series thing. The brothers basically gathered around Niles, Chris opting to sit on the edge of the other bed that was closest to the pile of androids. Well then, it was time to bother Niles about his crush. That might not have exactly been a crush. Connor was excited, really. He had never been able to attach names to the feelings that he had felt through their interfaces. It was a spark of something, a feeling of being inferior, a few other things Connor didn’t exactly understand. 

From what Connor could see, Chris was practically vibrating. He did mention coming to the city for a class trip. Maybe the fact that they were sharing a room and Niles had a crush was bringing back old ways. Though he seemed more excited than anything else. Connor had never spent this much time with him outside of work, so this was a learning experience. Though there was also a bit of a learning curve. There were a few things he had never expected of the man. Like comic books. That was such a delightful surprise to him. On one hand he had a new buddy to talk about comic books with. On the other, he had someone who was now accepted into his family. Chris had been Connor’s friend for a while, it was nice to have a human friend besides Carl, Hank, or Gavin. 

Markus adjusted how he sat on the bed, moving so he’d be able to run a hand through Niles’ hair. It had to be something about the shared faceplate that made him default to the action. Maybe that, or he just liked to run his fingers through people’s hair. It wasn’t such a farfetched idea considering how touchy Markus was with people he trusted. It was never much, just a light touch here or there. Then escalating to hugs the more he trusted whoever he was with. Though he seemed to like to keep a hand on Carl or Hank’s shoulders when he could. Maybe it was something left over from his caretaker programming. 

  
  


“So, tell me,” Markus paused and smiled down at the youngest brother. “How did you two meet?”

“She came in to help Detective Reed the day I was assigned as his partner. It was the first time he had been nice to me.” Niles looked at the ceiling, gently brushing his feet against the carpet. “It was the first time anyone had been  _ nice _ to me.”

“Wait, so you’ve known her for basically the same time you have Connor?” Caleb raised a brow, sighing when Niles nodded. “Listen man, I don’t want to deprive you of your happiness. But have you thought about maybe, you just love that she’s in your life? Like, she’s just a force of good in it and you like that?”

  
  


Well if Connor had known, he likely would have asked the same thing. There very well could have been the possibility that Niles was in love with the  _ idea _ of her. Connor hadn’t really seen any of their interactions. He had only felt what Niles did whenever she interacted with the twins in a physically intimate way. The spark of something, the feeling of being inferior.  _ Oh.  _ Oh, it was jealousy.  _ He _ wanted her to interact with him like that. The feelings were attached to her as a person. While Caleb hadn’t been wrong to think of such a thing, it was still a bit misinformed. In Connor’s honest opinion? Niles was already head over heels. Not that he had much of a reference for such a feeling. But from a quick internet search and some downloaded information, he felt he could make an educated guess. 

  
  


“Nah man,” Chris shrugged and nodded at Niles. “You haven’t seen him look at her like I have.”

“Well, how does he fuckin’ look at her then?”

“Like the rest of the world doesn’t matter.” Chris smiled and turned away almost shyly. “Trust me, my friends tell me I looked at my wife the same exact way. I didn’t realise what they were talking about until I saw Niles look at Madison.”

  
  


Like the rest of the world didn’t matter. Connor supposed he could understand that. That was similar to the way he felt when he knew his brothers were safe. When he saw Hank after coming back home after their first trip to Washington D.C. in January. Except his own feeling was that the rest of the world  _ did _ matter because they were there. Connor was helping to change the world, and he wanted his family there to see it. He loved being able to help androids, to be able to say he had a hand in helping his people gain the rights they deserved. Though it also made his stress levels incredibly high. It made Markus and Niles’ stress levels incredibly high. Which in turn made his own worse. 

But that was beside the point. The point was that Niles was so lost in his feelings that he didn’t even realise they were reflected outwardly. Not only was that kind of adorable, it was something Connor so desperately wished he had seen. Niles was somewhat shy at work. There was no doubt he would be trying to keep his facial expressions of himself unless his family was involved. But for now, Connor saw a light blue dust his cheeks as he closed his eyes. Well, Caleb was still laying half on top of him. He supposed that was the best Niles could do to make it so he couldn’t really see anyone looking at him. 

In some selfish desire, Connor wanted to know what their first meeting was like. Niles mentioned that  _ Gavin _ was the first one to be nice to him. Not Madison. Which struck him as odd, seeing as she was openly pro-android. Though… Maybe it was the faceplate. Niles shared a face with Connor, and thus with Caleb as well. If this was in November, then it was still when Caleb and Madison were being used by CyberLife. It was logical she wouldn’t want to look at him for whatever reason. It made sense that she would be cold toward him for that reason. Connor wondered if she had even looked at him. If she had even greeted him. The thought of the person his little brother liked seemingly brushing him off made Connor a little upset, but he knew he couldn’t blame her. She might have seen Caleb in him. Connor didn’t know which was worse; if she just didn’t pay him any mind because he was an android she didn’t know, or if she looked at him and it hurt because she saw her son.

It was quiet as the brothers spoke. As Chris started talking about how humans would typically react to crushes. His disdain for the phrase ‘boys will be boys’ seemed to get Markus going as well. Connor could understand the way that Chris had said it, how he explained that it was used as an excuse for awful behaviour. Though Connor had never heard it used like that. He had only ever heard Hank mutter it to himself with a smile as the brothers were doing things together. Albeit rather dumb and childish things. But it was something Hank said fondly, with a chuckle and a shake of his head. The two ways the phrase was used was confusing to him. But he trusted Chris’ definition as well as Hank’s, maybe they had different uses of it while growing up. Perhaps there were two ways to use it, and Hank tended to use it in the more wholesome manner. 

Though the conversation came back around to Niles and how he felt about Madison. Caleb slightly teasing Niles about it, Chris saying he'd understand it soon enough. Markus, oddly enough, was just as quiet as Connor was. Though it didn’t seem like it was a bad quiet. Like he was thinking about Simon, or his other leaders that hadn’t made it through the first revolution. It looked like he was content to watch what was happening around him. He was smiling at Caleb and Niles. Caleb who was messing up Niles’ hair. Niles who was laughing and health-heartedly trying to get his brother’s hands out of his hair. It was calm, it was simple, it was easy. Connor smiled at his brothers. Not they they were paying any attention to him. 

  
  


“Niles?” Connor figured he might as well ask about their meeting. “I know this may seem invasive, so please feel free to decline. But I was wondering if you would allow me to see when you and Madison first met. You don’t have to show me, I was just curious.”

“I...don’t see why not?” Niles shimmied his arm out from under Caleb and put it out for Connor to take. “Maybe you can explain the pulling at my wires.”

“I’ll try my best to.” Connor took his hand, smiling as their synthetic skin fell back to their wrists. 

_ A woman with a purple cable knit sweater and long brown hair rushed into the bullpen, a grin on her face and a file folder in her hand. Her eyes scanned the area before landing on it. Her grin faltered, and her eyes lost a bit of their expression. It didn’t pay her any mind, why would it? It was waiting for Detective Reed to come back from the break room. He specifically instructed it to get going on filing his paperwork digitally. It was occupied, therefore not idle, it had no reason to interact with this human that had run into the bullpen. Though it did notice she looked distraught when looking at it. Such a facial expression did not help it in it’s mission. The reasoning behind the facial expression was not necessary, it didn’t need to know why she looked at it like that.  _

_ It closed it’s eyes and started to file away digital files. Just as it was instructed to. There was no reason for it’s eyes to stay on the woman. No reason for it to keep looking at her. It was not faulty in it’s social relations like it’s predecessor was. It would accomplish it’s mission in cleaning up the deviancy crisis. Even if it didn’t quite understand why. Though it was not created to understand, it was created to execute a task. Though it would need to fulfill multiple side missions in order to get close enough to it’s legitimate mission. For now, it would play Detective Reed’s little game. He hadn’t proven himself to be a hindrance thus far, even if it had only been it’s first day. Even if the man was lazy, it could tell he was a rather talented detective.  _

_ A warm hand on it’s shoulder made it pause the data transfer and open it’s eyes. Detective Reed was looking down at it. How odd, he didn’t have that sneer on his face. It had collected enough data to suggest that was his automatic response to seeing an android. Though this was a new experience. More data to compile. A learning experience was not unwelcomed, it would be beneficial to their partnership if it were to learn more about the loudmouthed Detective. The first thing that had begun to run it’s programs in circles was not the woman, nor the hand on it’s shoulder from Detective Reed. No, the first thing to run it’s systems in circles was the soft expression on his face and the smile in his eyes. The slight playful smirk on his face as he spoke.  _

  
  


_ “This is my little sister, Madison. She helps me out on cases sometimes, Civilian Consultant sorta shit.” Detective Reed took his hand off it’s shoulder and then put an arm around his sister. “She’s kinda shy, so be nice to her, please.” _

  
  


_ It looked at her, scanning her face and pulling up any and all information it could on her. There were no records of her having any siblings. Perhaps it was of an odd human ritual to accept one as their own despite not sharing any DNA. However, that was of no consequence. What was more intriguing was the information about her professional life. She had a fairly average intelligence, good with math and sciences. Started working at CyberLife in her early twenties and started working her way up in the company before abruptly being terminated in recent months. She lived in a modest apartment somewhat near Detective Reed, apparently having adopted a grey tuxedo cat last year. With the legal documentation of adoption papers saying her name was Henry The Cat. All in all, Madison was a rather average human. Even if the reasons for her termination were redacted and encrypted beyond even it’s capabilities of decryption.  _

_ It concluded that the familial relation must have made Detective Reed react to her in such a way. It decided that the way he reacted to her was a welcome change in his work ethic. Having her around more often would be easier for it to work with the man. It filed away the information on her into a folder titled with her name, a ghost of something pulling at the wires in it’s chassis coming along with the newly made folder. Intriguing, but not important. It dismissed the pull at it’s wires and nodded to Detective Reed. It would ‘be nice’ to her. Even if she appeared distraught whenever she looked at it.  _

  
  


Connor blinked a few times before he realised where he was. Niles was...such a machine. He was so...cold. There was a ghost of something tugging at his wires, something that Connor had felt time and time again. Curiosity. Something Connor never understood, but always welcomed. He always liked curiosity, it was such a human feeling. It seemed that it was the first thing Niles had ever felt. Well, that he noticed at least. From what Connor could tell, that was the twelfth of November. Meaning it was likely before Detective Reed pushed him in the river. Before they had met each other. Before they became a family. 

  
  


“Curiosity.”

“I looked at her and I was... _ curious _ ?” Niles rolled his eyes gently and moved Caleb from on top of himself. “Connor, if it was that simple I surely would have known.”

“Yeah, but, you’re a little bit of a himbo.” 

“Caleb!” Chris exclaimed his name through a fit of laughter. Connor didn’t understand what he was talking about. “Dude, you can’t just call your brother a himbo!”

“Well I just did, suck it!”

  
  


_ Himbo _

_ Noun: An attractive but unintelligent man _

A laugh bubbled up out of Connor’s chest as he realised exactly what Caleb meant. Yes, Niles was pretty. Connor ignored the small question of it being narcissistic to find a person who looked exactly like him pretty. But nonetheless, Niles was an aesthetically pleasing individual. As well as kind of stupid sometimes. More of completely oblivious to certain things. Such as romance. He was smart when it came to things he was programmed to be good at, such as negotiation and investigation. Those pieces of himself made him who he was at the base of his very being. However when it came to basically anything else? The man was utterly hopeless until he looked something up about it. With the speed that his processes went, the download process was quite fast. Giving the illusion he knew exactly what he was talking about. Most times; he did not. Some times; it was something someone else had told him about already. The distinction between the two when talking to him was unidentifiable. 

  
  


“Okay, okay, okay,” Caleb forced his words out through his laughter. It made Connor smile. “Hear me out; we rank each other.”

“How though? Which scale are we using?” Chris furrowed his brows and then smiled with excitement. A kind that screamed it was going to try Connor’s patience. “How about on a one to ten of how himbo we are?”

“Wait, ‘we’?” Markus raised a brow.

“Yeah, I’m getting in on this!” Chris straightened out his back a bit more, and beamed. “I’ll go first. I’m probably about a four, at least that’s what my high school buddies would say.”

  
  


So they took turns rating each other on how much of a himbo each man was. An odd game to play, but it  _ was _ still fun. Apparently Niles got a lot of himbo points. No one gave him a full ten, but the highest he got was, from Caleb, a seven. Markus seemed to be the least himbo by the group’s opinion, usually getting an average rating of a two. Chris seemed to stay at around a four. Caleb gave himself a three, which most of the group agreed with. The only one who didn’t was Chris, who said he was a six. While Connor was the second highest average rating at a five. 

  
  


“Wait! Why am I a five?” It didn’t seem very fair. He was very smart and he knew a lot about a lot of things. “Shouldn’t I be somewhere near Markus?”

“You and Niles  _ are _ quite similar.” Markus smirked and then shrugged noncommittally. “I’m just saying; you’re both too pure for your own good.”

“I’m the third oldest in the room…”

“Which isn’t saying much when there’s five of us in here, Con.”

  
  


Okay, maybe he was right. That wasn’t exactly saying much. But it was something still! Regardless of that fact, Connor was still having fun. Even if his brothers and Chris Miller decided he was the second most himbo material in the room. If they were just listing off himbos, then they all knew that Gavin would take the metaphorical cake there. He may have been good at his job, but he once asked Connor how much time a quarter of an hour was. But still, it was fun to be able to talk and laugh like that. While Connor certainly didn’t want to stay a diplomat for androids in such a way, he did enjoy the shenanigans he got into with his family while in Washington D.C. with them. 

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who remembered Thor is perfect himbo material


	17. Lookin’ Like It's Time Tonight For Fight Or Flight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ths chpter's title is form Van Horn by Saint Motel

_February 23rd 2039 12:03 PM_

  
  


Connor sighed as he sat at his terminal. The past week in Washington D.C. was actually very productive and they made some headway. While Chris had fun with the brothers, he seemed rather relieved to be back home in Detroit. Not that Connor could blame him, he missed Sumo something fierce. It was nice to be back home, even if the city air felt almost stale. But it was Detroit. Detroit was his home and he wouldn't trade it for the world. Even if it meant that he was stuck with Gavin being bored as hell while waiting for _any_ lead into the CyberLife murders and Caleb’s cases. As far as Connor knew, there was nothing. But Hank and Gavin were out when Connor, Chris, Niles, Markus, and Caleb all came back to the precinct. Officer Chen said something about them going to check a lead a few hours ago.

Since it was the first time Markus had been at the DPD, Chris offered to show him around. It was just an RK Series thing to be friends with Chris apparently. Not that Connor was complaining, Chris was a good man. Connor decided to get settled into his desk after watching Chris whisk Markus away to give a small tour. It wasn’t like there was too much to see anyway. The basement level was the gym and showers, the ground floor was the actual precinct, and the few upper levels were varying division specific offices and labs. Though Markus had seemed excited to know more about the building. It was sweet, seeing him so animated. Ah, he probably was excited because it was where Hank, Niles, and Connor worked. 

Pretty soon, Gavin’s voice could be heard booming through the precinct. He and Hank seemed to have just arrived. Ordinarily Gavin would give Connor a wave before coming over, though today seemed to be different. He came scrambling over with a grin and a file folder in one hand. 

  
  


“Okay hear me out, I have some pretty fuckin’ good news.” Gavin smirked at Connor as he went around his chair and sat in it, leaning on his desk and slapping the file folder down. “Your old man and I did some digging around and might’ve found somethin’.”

“Hank isn’t that old, Detective.” Connor still opened the folder and looked through it. The remnants of fingerprints that were lifted from the victim outside the new CyberLife building. “These are only partials, you can’t do much with this.”

“No, _I_ can’t do shit, you’re right about that.” 

“Then why show me?”

“Because _you_ can, dipshit.” Gavin beamed as he leaned over the desk more, pointing to different partials. “Listen, you can still tell if they’re the same print, right? Mix and match these and see if they’re from the same person? Like, uhh, a hella morbid jigsaw.”

“Oh, I see now.” Connor gave him a smile and started to rearrange the little pieces of evidence around. He had come up with something that was likely to amount to some sort of result. It...wasn’t that great. “Oh…”

“What do you mean ‘oh’?”

“You need to go call your siblings.” Connor awkwardly shifted in his seat and played with his vintage solar powered dancing flower. “They need to come in.”

  
  


Gavin’s face paled. He didn’t understand what Connor did, he didn’t know who the fingerprints belonged to. But it was someone with an IQ that rivaled Elijah Kamski’s. Someone that Connor knew for a fact would have the ability to threaten their family in such a way. It made an odd amount of sense as Connor thought about it. Yet there were still so many variables missing. It made sense, with the context and the fingerprints, but it wasn’t complete still. Looking back at the tab in his HUD displaying the reconstruction, he sighed and sent the information to Niles and Hank, then on to Gavin’s terminal. 

**FINGERPRINT ANALYSIS**

**KAMSKI, Anatoli**

**DOB: 10/31/1971**

A very loud curse came from Hank as he opened the message from Connor, causing Gavin to go over to see what it was. Connor didn’t miss the way his body went rigid. How his hand clenched into fists. A scan showed his heart rate was elevated, a heat in his face, breathing shallow. Gavin was _furious._ He ran his hands through his hair before taking out his phone and heading to the back doors. Even as Gavin walked, he pulled out his lighter and a pack of cigarettes. Connor almost wanted to follow him, to see if he could help calm him down. But, as selfish as he believed it was, he wanted to stay and help his family more. 

Hank was, understandably, in a paternal rage. A scan showed that Connor absolutely should _not_ approach him until he had calmed down. But when had Connor ever listened when it came to Hank, anyway? He got up from his desk, exchanging a few messages with Caleb telling him about the situation, and then went to the break room to get a coffee. Hank would probably be sort of upset it wasn’t somewhat spiked but he could deal with that. If he wanted something stronger then he’d have to go get it himself. Not that Connor would say such a thing to him, because then he _would_ go get it himself. But he felt his exasperation would still be conveyed through the look he’d give his father while setting the coffee down. With a sigh, Connor made a mug of coffee. It smelled a little bad and probably tasted a lot worse. But at least it would get Hank to likely think about how bad the break room coffee was instead of focusing on the information he was sent on his terminal. Connor had to hold back a wince as Hank glared at him, obviously not happy about the lack of an alcoholic smell coming from the cup in front of him. Though he shot back with one of his own. Surprisingly, Hank backed down and took a sip of the coffee, softly thanking him and then going back to his other files on the case. 

Chris picked a spectacular time to come back with Markus in tow. Really, the timing was stellar, as he watched his brothers and father figure huff and puff. Chris began to ask what was going on. Though he got cut off by Hank saying he wasn’t assigned to the case, thus he didn’t need to know anything about what was going on. Which only caused Markus’ brow to furrow as he read over Hank’s shoulder as calmly as he could. Markus didn’t know what they did. He didn’t know that Anatoli Kamski had hurt two of his children bad enough to leave them with physical scars. He didn’t know that the man had apparently made ties with Red Ice distributors. Which meant, Connor suddenly realised, if they took down Anatoli Kamski without any problems, then they’d also likely be taking down Red Ice distributors in the process. Connor suddenly stood up with every intention of going to get Gavin and tell him the news. Though Markus put a hand on his arm to stop him in his tracks, gently shaking his head despite not even knowing what was going on. 

After about ten minutes of waiting around and hoping Gavin would come back on his own, the man did, and he called everyone into the briefing room. For reasons Connor didn’t understand, Gavin squinted at Markus, then shrugged and said he could come in too. Once they were settled into the various chairs, Gavin cleared his throat and started pacing the front of the room. He had calmed down considerably since he had walked out to smoke and presumably call his siblings. Not completely. But mostly. Which was better for everyone involved, if Connor was to be honest. 

  
  


“So if it’s really our old man, then I’ve got some theories to the Red Ice ties.” Gavin crossed his arms and kept pacing. “Our dad is Russian. Like he’s the very, _very_ Russian kind of Russian.”

“Why does that fuckin’ matter, Reed?” With a sigh, Hank leaned back in his chair. He was still very angry. “How does that help us at all?”

“Because I’ve got a cousin. Well, not exactly. He’s, uhh, fuck I don’t know. I think it would be, uhh, first cousin once removed? I think that’s what it is?” Gavin shook his head and ran a shaky hand through his hair. “He was the same age as my aunt but he was her cousin.”

“That _would_ make him your first cousin once removed.” Niles sighed and ran a hand down his face, missing Hank’s look of surprise at the action. How he didn’t know his kids were picking up things from him was a mystery. “Does he have ties to Red Ice?”

“Yeah, absolutely. During the first revolution he got killed by some androids, can’t say the fucker didn’t deserve it. The bastard experimented on them and trapped them in his house.” Markus grimaced at Gavin’s words. “Listen, I know you don’t wanna hear that shit and I’m sorry, okay? But he used most of them to get thirium for Red Ice. If my old man-- _Oh holy shit._ ”

“What?” Gavin grinned and rushed over to Connor, completely ignoring Hank’s question. “Dammit Reed, we might have a fucking lead into the person who wants your sister dead! Fucking answer me when I ask you a question!”

“Connor, _the needle!_ ” Oh holy shit, that made sense. 

“Detective, you’re right!” Connor stood up sporting a grin of his own. 

  
  


During the week the RK brothers and Chris had been in Washington D.C., Gavin had called Connor saying he had a theory on the needle. He mentioned how his father knew quite a bit about chemicals and general sciences. Though he seemed to be the best at chemistry. Gavin went on to explain how one would go about changing the general form of matter of a drug. After all, certain other drugs were able to be both smoked and injected. All it would need is a bit of tweaking to the ingredients and how it was made. Something Gavin knew all too well about because of the neighbourhood he and his siblings had initially grown up in. At the time, Connor was quick to dismiss the theory on something similar happening with Red Ice. But now it fit all too well. The fact that Anatoli Kamski knew how to change the formula for Red Ice to be injectable, the threat to Madison and Caleb’s lives, the ties to CyberLife. It was entirely possible he was getting back at his kids for their creations rising up and fighting for their own rights. From what little else Gavin had let slip during that call, their father wasn’t able to hold down a steady job. He was too unpredictable. The bitterness he had toward androids would only increase tenfold with the sudden order that androids were living beings and getting their basic rights. 

Though now it was a lot clearer, at least in Connor’s honest opinion. The ties between the subjects, the murder victims, why there was a syringe covered in Red Ice, Madison and Caleb. It made perfect sense. But what didn’t was the lack of a struggle. That was something consistent with all the recent Red Ice related bodies that dropped within the last month and a half. It was a bit infuriating actually, to have so many answers and yet so many questions still. Motive was highly likely to be revenge in some way. Method was through Red Ice. The lack of a struggle didn’t make any sense unless Anatoli Kamski had known the victims personally. Which he likely didn’t. Unless… Connor scoured database after database of CyberLife personnel, looking for _anyone_ with the first name of Anatoli, for anyone who might even remotely resemble the half-siblings’ father. There was one, a man in his sixties whose last name was redacted information. It was obvious he had Elijah Kamski’s father at least; they had the same jaw and nose, as well as complexion, hair and eye colour. Gavin and Madison must have looked more like their mothers. 

  
  


“Detective,” Ah yes, Connor never understood why he never called the man by his first name at work. Probably something left over in his programming. “I think we should probably share with the class. Don’t you?”

“Right, right. Though, first off; when did you get sarcastic? I both love it and hate it.” 

“I’ve got three brothers, you tell me.”

“Yup, gotcha. Alright,” Gavin shrugged and clapped his hands together. “My old man is a piece of fuckin’ work. He knows a bunch of shit about chemistry and drugs. He could turn Red Ice into something someone can inject if he tries hard enough.”

“You’re telling me he made a new kind of Red Ice?” Hank groaned and slumped in his chair. “This has got to be one of the worst days of my fuckin’ life. Okay, so what do we do?”

“He worked for CyberLife, before he got let go for unstable behaviour.” Connor interfaced with the tablet on the table, bringing up a projection on the screen behind Gavin up on the wall. It was a picture of Anatoli Kamski. “I’m sure we all can see the resemblance in him and Elijah Kamski. Since he worked for CyberLife, then there’s a good chance that was why there weren’t any signs of a struggle on the bodies. Or the areas we found them in.”

“Meaning?” 

“It was someone the victims knew. They likely saw the resemblance to Elijah Kamski, thus trusted the man who worked for CyberLife, and then he killed them. With the ties to Madison and Elijah, he likely would have had access to more sensitive information. Like the secret project Caleb was a part of.”

  
  


Connor continued to explain his theory on the matter. That Anatoli Kamski wasn’t working by himself. He had to have someone working with him that knew chemistry just as intimately as he did. It was obvious it wasn’t Madison, seeing as she obviously didn’t trust the man after when he must have done to her and her brother. It could have been another employee that was laid off. CyberLife was filled with people who understood many different kinds of science. Why wouldn’t there be another chemist in the building? They likely weren’t as needed due to the company focusing on the robotics of androids rather than the chemical compositions of thirium. Therefore, it was highly likely that Anatoli Kamski was not working alone, he was likely to have _some_ accomplice. One who worked on the specific Red Ice that was more potent, more concentrated, to use as a means of murder. 

So the next question he proposed to the group, and Markus because he was just there, was who the accomplice was. Gavin said it might be one of his old Red Ice buddies, to which Hank agreed. Niles said it might have been one of the employees that was laid off. Caleb...looked deep in thought. His brows furrowed and he squinted down at the table. Though he didn’t say anything. Markus stayed silent as well, watching the group with rapt interest as they spoke to one another. Each person firing off theories and questions, each of which the identical brothers filed away for a later time. They were going to need it later. Reflect on it and talk about the theory once Gavin’s siblings got to the station. Besides, this experience would give Markus a better look at what they did at the DPD. How Connor wasn’t in as much danger while helping Gavin on the Red Ice Task Force. How a lot of it was just trying to think outside of the box and figure out different ways to look at the same piece of evidence. 

After quite the stretch of silence from his twin, Connor noticed him sigh through his nose before speaking. The words hitting everyone like a train. 

  
  


“I remember Maddie talking about an RK900 going missing.” Caleb reached next to himself, reached for Niles. Their hands clasped together. Though no synthetic skin slipped away as Caleb looked up at Gavin. “Right before she got me out. That was around the ninth of January.”

“When we first started finding bodies…” Gavin moved to drop into one of the chairs before putting his hands over his face and tilting his head back. “Great, my dad’s prob’ly a goddamn serial killer, and it spiked right when my sister escaped an awful blackmail situation.”

“She named him, too. She named him Richard.” Caleb smiled faintly when recalling the memory. Though Niles scrunched up his nose. “But right after the first time I saw his LED turn red, he disappeared. Maddie said she couldn’t find him, she sounded real fuckin’ scared, so that means he was taken. Doesn’t it?”

“Okay, new gameplan.” Hank adjusted how he was sitting and sighed. “We’re looking for a missing person, a possible serial killer, and trying to protect your fuckin’ sister.” He pointed at Gavin at the last bit. “So we split up, create our own little divisions in this shitshow.”

  
  


Gavin was on the sister protection squad, mostly because she was his sister. Though Niles said he would join him on that escapade. Which thoroughly confused everyone involved. But considering it was Madison, and he was quite smitten with her, it actually made quite a bit of sense. Hank was on the serial killer angle with Connor. Caleb said he wanted to help as best he could, which led to Hank assigning him as helping with the missing person’s case. Markus quickly said he would help, he had contacts all over the city. Deviants who could help possibly identify any roaming RK900s or Anatoli Kamski. It wasn’t much and they were likely going to need to drag in at least one person, Caleb insisted it be Chris Miller, but it was a start to what could be a lengthy investigation. One that needed to be over sooner rather than later. 

  
  
  
  



	18. What Are You Gonna Say To Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> title's from I Don't Give A... by MISSIO
> 
> And here starts the hiatus because I know I'm gonna start writing stuff for the themed month in June,, But I'll be putting that up on AO3!! If you guys are interested in it. Don't know why I wrote that. I have hands and ideas and I'm going to make that everyone else's problem. But!! The drabbles are going to be various things revolving around Hank and Connor in this world!! They won't be tied to the main story in any way, but they'll be fun things with side characters coming up every now and again. Like Alan and Jeremy! And James, I love James

_February 24th 2039 3:52 PM_

  
  


Working with Hank was nice again, that was for damn sure. It was like the human saying; it’s like riding a bicycle, one never forgets how to. Though most people in the city didn’t really use them anymore. But that was beside the point. The point was, Connor was working with Hank again, and he didn’t realise just how much either of them missed it. They worked in tandem. It was something that came naturally to them both. Maybe from the first time they worked together, maybe from the familial relationship they had. Regardless of what it was, Connor felt that it was like putting on his favourite sweater. Comforting and warm, familiar and trusted. 

At the moment, Connor was interfaced with his terminal and running through the digital records of evidence. The murders had all been the same. Systematic almost. Sometimes even ritualistic. No signs of a struggle, lethal dose of Red Ice through injection, someone who worked for CyberLife. Though only the most recent ones were involved in the secret project. Which made the connection a bit flimsy, but it was still something to work with. However, it also meant that it was a conscious decision to target those people. If at first it was only people who had worked for CyberLife, then it switched over to those involved in the secret project, then that implied some sort of morbid inspiration struck. Whoever it was had decided the people involved in the secret project deserved some sort of punishment. 

With a sigh, Connor leaned back and continued to read. It wasn’t like it was hard to. But the fact that it was someone he knew that was a target. The fact that Fowler still let them take the case and split up to find more information. Chris Miller did end up getting involved, working with Caleb and Markus on finding and information on the streets. Hell, because Caleb was an RK800 and seemed to get along with Chris, Fowler seemed to be considering hiring him. Which would have been great. To have the whole family, minus Markus, working at the DPD. Easy to check on each other and make sure everything is okay. But most importantly, it would be easier for the brothers to annoy the hell out of each other. Connor smiled and chuckled to himself lightly. He hoped Fowler would hire Caleb after all this. He’d be an excellent addition to the DPD. Out of the corner of his eye, Connor could see Hank playing with a pen. He seemed to be thinking about something. 

  
  


“D’ya think that maybe that other RK900 might be deviant?” Hank stopped fiddling with the pen and set it down. He crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair.

“Richard?”

“Who?”

“Lieutenant, his name is Richard.” Connor looked up from his terminal with a smile. “As in the ‘What the _fuck_ Richard’ vine.”

“I’m proud of you for memeing at me, Connor, I really am. But,” Hank shook his head and pointed at him, struggling to suppress a grin. “Don’t swear, it doesn’t suit you.”

  
  


Well, okay, maybe not. He usually only swore in specific circumstances. Usually only if it was something that greatly upset him, such as the night he and Hank got into the fight that caused Niles to run. They _did_ find Markus that night though. Which, Connor supposed, that meant something good came out of that night. Three deviants all lost and not knowing what to do. Scared and unable to do what they wanted because they were trapped by the societal views at the time. Controlled by some unknown force. 

_Trapped. Controlled. Scared._ Richard was likely deviant. Caleb deviated from the constant abuse the scientists put him through, he became his own. Maybe Richard wasn’t missing, but he was _running away._ He was an RK900, he could do what he wanted. If someone in the building were to see him it would be harmless. They knew he was supposed to be there. Even if he was questioned, he could say they were giving a new RK900 to the DPD to replace the deviant one. It wasn’t entirely foolproof but it could work in a pinch. After all, Connor didn’t have a much better plan when he first deviated. He just made a last ditch effort to try and keep himself alive. That could have been exactly what Richard was doing. 

  
  


“Well, it can be assumed he was deviant. Caleb said he saw his LED turn red, then he never saw him again.” It was confusing to say the least. “But that doesn’t necessarily mean he had to be. Otherwise he wouldn't have--” 

  
  


Connor stood so fast that his chair fell to the ground, the clatter causing others in the bullpen to look over. Including Gavin and Niles. That didn’t matter. His previous theory was wrong. There was no way that Richard was deviant, why would a deviant run away at the same time bodies started dropping? Wouldn’t he have gone to the police if that was the case? That was too close, too coincidental. It wasn’t an accident they happened at around the same time. Richard didn’t run away. _He was taken._ By whoever was orchestrating the whole thing. Whoever it was, be it Anatoli Kamski or someone else, was using him to help kill people. Some innocent, some guilty. But how would anyone know who was innocent and who was guilty if they all were dead? It was infuriating. They were _so close_ to figuring shit out. So fucking close. 

  
  


“Connor?”

“He can’t be deviant. Otherwise he wouldn’t help with the murders.”

“What?” Hank stood up and moved to put his hands on Connor’s shoulders. “That’s quite the jump, son. How did you get there?”

“The lack of a struggle. The fact that it had to be someone the personnel knew. Why would a human fight an _RK900_ when it can just…” Connor made a movement that mimicked snapping someone’s neck. “They’d go with him - with Richard - because they’d think he might just let them go if they listen.”

“But then they get a dose of the Red Ice…” Gavin came over, a grim yet satisfied look on his face. “Which kills them, and then we find the bodies.”

  
  


Connor wanted to believe that he was wrong. He so desperately wanted Richard to have run away, to have gotten out of that hellish facility. But the timelines fit together. Him going missing right around when the bodies started to get more frequent, when Madison escaped with Caleb. If Anatoli Kamski was working with her and then got laid off, then there was some form of motive. Even if Connor couldn’t wrap his head around why someone would target their own family. That didn’t make any sense to him, though he knew it wouldn’t. Right now they needed to look to Gavin, they needed him to lead them for a bit. If it really was his father then they would need his input the most. 

It was depraved, in the basic sense of the word. Morally wicked. Murder wasn’t something uncommon, especially in a city such as Detroit. With some of the humans staying behind after the evacuation being anti-android, it made sense. It was awful. But it made sense. People could be cruel. In the world they were living in at the moment, such a thing was likely to be commonplace until all the laws went through. It was an unfortunate reality. Androids still didn’t get the same level of attention as humans did. They weren’t granted the right of a speedy trial, they didn’t get a lawyer provided for them if they didn’t have one, they didn’t have the benefit of the doubt. Until laws were passed that they were given those things, then things would stay relatively the same as they did now. It would take quite a few years to do it. Nothing happened overnight, not by any means. But it still would be nice if the government didn’t seem to be actively fighting the changes. 

With a heavy sigh, Connor went back to his terminal. In the meantime he was going to go over what he could about the case again. See if looking at the information provided with that revelation in mind could change anything. If it could make anything stick out more than the other times he read it. Maybe, maybe not. Honestly, Connor felt like he was grabbing at straws. He softly groaned, running his hands through his hair and then resting his elbows on his desk. Fuck murder, fuck Red Ice, fuck CyberLife for what they did to Caleb. He just wanted this to be over.

  
  


\---

  
  


_February 25th 2039 11:15 AM_

  
  


It was actually a bit early when the half-siblings came into the precinct. Of course, with Elijah annoyedly muttering to himself about the press. Though Madison just patted him on the arm and sat down at Gavin’s desk. Niles, quite literally, jumped when she greeted him. It was adorable, watching a faint dusting of blue spread across his cheeks. The specific blush tied to certain emotions. If either of the humans knew what it meant, then they didn’t say anything. Though it was nice to watch them still. Niles softly smiling at them while explaining that Gavin was out the back door taking a break. Even though he had just gotten there a few minutes ago. Despite the odd nature of Gavin Reed, he worked well with the RK brothers. Much to everyone’s surprise. Even Connor’s own, he was surprised to find out that he actually liked to work with the man. Maybe it was that whole common ground in being the middle child thing again. Regardless of what it was, Connor had to go get Hank so they all could be present for the debrief. 

Once he had actually gotten up, and stopped watching Niles fumble over his words while talking to Madison, Connor went to the break room to tell Hank the siblings were there. Also to ask where Caleb was. Due to not alerting the man of his presence, Hank nearly inhaled his coffee by accident. Right, Connor did walk quietly sometimes. But apparently Caleb was outside with Gavin to talk about the case. No harm there. Not unless Caleb really did have a thing for him, then Connor would have to talk to them both. His two little brothers having a thing for a member of that family? Not impossible, but still highly improbable. But that was beside the point. The point was; the siblings were there and everyone needed to be brought up to speed. So Connor went out the back doors to grab his brother and Gavin. They were...laughing with each other. Connor awkwardly, much to his dismay, coughed into his fist to announce his presence. He told them that Elijah and Madison had just arrived and they needed to come inside. 

They gathered in the briefing room, Niles trailing behind Hank. Who had some sort of smug grin on his face. Connor would have to ask him about it later. Everyone sat down around the table except for Connor, he stood at the front of the room and started to debrief Madison and Elijah. He told them about the possible tie to the murders and their father first, pointedly trying to ignore the way Madison put a hand over Elijah’s. Explaining that he had apparently worked for the company and he was let go at some point recently. Elijah sighed, explaining that he did give his father a job at the company. Though he wasn’t actually allowed in the labs due to his previous Red Ice ties. Even if he could have helped with certain research components, he was prohibited from entering any laboratories for any reasons. That explained that easily enough. Connor moved on to the fact that there was another RK900 activated, watching as Madison’s eyes immediately moved to the ground. Nothing was said after Caleb announced he had said everything he could about the android. So then the final, and arguably most disturbing, part was spoken. Richard may not have disappeared, he may not have been deviant, and he very well might be assisting the killer in their murders. There was a good chance that he was given to the suspect and was being forced to be an accomplice. 

  
  


“Correct me if I’m wrong, but there’s an _RK900_ running around the city helping murder people?” Elijah sighed and leaned back in his chair, pulling his hair out of it’s bun. “Oh, lovely. Duckie, what do you remember about him?”

“He was super soft spoken.” Madison smiled a bit at the nickname and then looked up to Connor. “Richard was very gentle, he never hurt anyone unless he was told to. But even then...his LED was yellow most of the time he did it. At least from what I could see from archive footage.”

“So he doesn’t like to hurt people,” Connor smiled. “That’s good. Maybe we can get through to him once we find him.”

“Hopefully…”

“Ah, shit, hold on Madds.” Gavin sighed and slumped over the table, extending one of his arms toward her and Elijah. She met him halfway and took his hand. “Dad might be involved. It would explain why Red Ice is injectable now.”

  
  


With a ragged sigh, Elijah slumped in his chair. It was quite the sight to see. The CEO of CyberLife; with his hair down, looking tired as hell, and honestly being in a state that made Connor feel a bit sorry for him. Gavin, surprisingly, moved so he could put his other arm out. Elijah grabbed his hand halfway across the table as well. It was...interesting to see. Connor never really took Gavin as the comforting sibling. But apparently he was wrong. Maybe he had more in common with Gavin than he thought, maybe they could talk about it once everyone went back to their original partnerships. But for now, Gavin Reed was reaching across the table to hold his siblings’ hands and comfort them. 

No one said anything as they left the room. As they left the siblings inside to do whatever it was they would do. Though all of them hesitated, probably all for different reasons. Hank likely wanted to talk to them, even if he didn’t particularly like two of the three. Niles, well he was obvious, he likely would have wanted to comfort Madison himself. Caleb probably wanted to as well. Connor...wanted to talk to Gavin. Ask him about his relationships with his siblings. How long had he been the one to comfort them? How long was he practically the big brother? Did he take it upon himself, or was the role left to him somehow? It...sort of hurt to think about. Elijah went to college when he was sixteen. So that would have left Gavin at home with Madison and Elijah’s parents. He would have been sixteen and she would have been eleven. Whatever made Gavin into the man he was today couldn’t have been pleasant. Connor only hoped that it wasn’t because of their father. He hoped that this case involved him so they could get him out of their lives for good. So Connor didn’t hear the faint words coming from the room, coming from Gavin, saying that everything would be sorted out. 

_Fuck it._

Connor didn’t follow his family. As he got to his chair, pulling it out from under the desk, he decided against it. He went right back into the briefing room. Gavin glared at him as he opened the door. It didn’t matter. He sat right next to the man, politely putting his hands in his own lap. Right. Connor didn’t actually plan on letting his legs take him back in the room. Now what? Connor looked at the three of them, leaning over the table even though they could have moved to sit next to each other. Elijah and Madison looking very shaken, and understandably, frightened. Gavin looking like he wanted to smack Connor upside the head, and he probably would have if not for holding his siblings’ hands. Connor cleared his throat, mostly just a sound to recalibrate his voice, and he gave them a sympathetic smile he hoped didn’t look awkward and forced. 

  
  


“I need you to tell me anything that might help us in this case.” Connor stood and gestured toward the door. “We should continue this in the interrogation room.”

“We don’t even know if it’s free right now, dipshit.”

“No, but I can check.” With a quick ping to Niles, and then a ping back a few seconds later, Connor was told it was empty. “Niles says it’s open. Let’s go. I’ll get the Lieutenant and Niles.”

“Fuckin’ whatever.”

  
  


Madison and Elijah let go of Gavin’s hands, and they all stood up. Okay, so maybe Connor was using it as a time to watch Gavin as well. He put a hand on Madison’s back, on Elijah’s shoulder. He was very protective. His muscles were tense and he looked ready to pull them in any direction if he needed to. But he was also frightened, the way he held himself behind them showed it. Again, Connor wondered just what happened to make Gavin the one who worried about them all. Madison said she was the overbearing sibling the day Connor had met her. Maybe they all were. Maybe nothing mattered more to them than making sure each other was alright. Whatever happened...changed them. Made them into who they were today. Maybe it was trauma - well, it obviously was, but still - that made them like this. Made Elijah seem somewhat unhinged. Made Gavin so cold and angry toward others. Made Madison so soft with everyone she met. Fight, flight, fawn, and freeze. The four adrenal responses. Madison was fawn, make friends with the threat. Gavin was fight, he was...very fighty. Elijah was flight, once he got booted out of the company, he ran to basically Canada. 

Connor wanted to know what happened to them.

It might help take down their father if it really was him.

  
  
  
  



	19. I Finally Felt Enthusiastic, I Finally Felt Alive

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's title is from Spring and a Storm by Tally Hall!!!
> 
> I may have lied a little bit about the hiatus. I honestly don't know what's gonna happen with that. But I'm gonna keep the thing in the description just in case I do in fact go on hiatus with this. But I have the rest of the plot actually written out, and it shouldn't take more than a month or two to finish this story. So there's that to look forward to!

_ February 25th 2039 12:15 PM _

  
  


It sounded like a good plan at first, but then again they usually did with Connor. Things sounded better in his head than they did out loud. He wasn’t expecting to see Gavin sitting in the interrogation room, looking like he was trying really hard not to throw something. Well, that wasn’t  _ entirely _ surprising to Connor. Rather, what  _ was, _ was the fact that Madison was in the room with him; because she started getting so worked up that she couldn’t form a coherent sentence. Hence why Gavin was speaking for her and looking like he was about to throw the chair against the wall. It wasn’t like Connor couldn’t handle the sudden movement and noise, but it seemed that Madison couldn’t. Every time that Gavin angrily gestured, she would cower away just slightly. Fear flashing in her eyes and holding onto the hem of her shirt. Gavin was too wrapped up in being angry that he hadn’t noticed. But back in the observation room, Niles pressed the button to come over the speaker and tell Gavin to calm down. Which, surprisingly, he did immediately. 

Though eventually, Connor had a somewhat coherent story from Madison. She turned to leave the room, Gavin patting her arm as she slipped past him out the door. Elijah sighed from beside Connor, and they watched Niles zip out of the observation room to meet her. It was slow going from there. Madison came into the observation room with Niles, immediately leaving his side to lean against the wall with Elijah. The unusual softness was back. Connor had a feeling it would never leave. But he wasn’t there to analyse the siblings, he was there to help build a case to take down a Red Ice dealer who was a murderer and quite possibly could be their father. The entire situation was a disaster. It was stressful for everyone involved, it had the group running themselves ragged, it was something that could affect the entire city if they didn’t solve the case soon. Turning back to the window into the interrogation room, Connor sighed and crossed his arms. Gavin was pretty animated when it came to how he spoke about their father. 

  
  


“Yeah no, the bastard used to throw shit.” Gavin crossed his arms and leaned back in the chair, bouncing his leg like he was anxious. He was. “I can’t tell you how many times I pushed Madds behind me because of that.”

“And you were both minors?” Hank was...seething. To put it lightly. “He used to throw things at you and your sister when you were kids?”

“Yeah. I was almost eighteen, but she’s five years younger than me, Anderson.” He shook his head and looked at the one way glass. A far away little smile, and then he looked back at Hank with a scowl. “He made sure none of it actually hit us. Not until we were eighteen at least. Eli was lucky, he got out of the house when he was sixteen. But Madds and I?” Gavin rubbed at the scar on his nose, chuckling darkly. “He’s how I got my kickass scar. Used to say I got into a fight with a bear every time someone asked because it made Madds giggle like crazy.”

“Right.” Hank sighed and ran a hand down his face. “I think that’s enough for now. You’ve told me about what he’s capable of with chemistry an’ shit already. Just need a statement from your brother about the abuse, and then we can get this show on the fuckin’ road.”

  
  


Gavin nodded to him and rolled his shoulders a few times before getting up with a pat to Hank’s shoulder. Hank nodded, almost gratefully, and told Gavin to send Elijah in. But the latter never moved. Not until Gavin hugged their sister close. It couldn’t have been easy from Hank to hear about this sort of thing. Having kids himself, being a father himself. Speaking of his kids; Connor didn’t know where Caleb was. Niles was in the observation room with Gavin, Madison, and himself. Hank was in the interrogation room with Elijah. So...Caleb had to be somewhere in the building. Besides, Connor had heard enough to know that their father was a terrible excuse for a human being. He sent a quick message to Niles telling him he would look for Caleb, and went out the door. The most likely place for him to be would be the gym in the basement. 

Sure enough, as Connor got closer to the lockers, he could hear the sound of fists colliding with a punching bag. He was relieved to see Caleb standing in front of it. Even if he looked like he wanted to rip it off it’s chain and tear it apart. Connor leaned against some lockers and watched him. Caleb was forcing himself not to use his full strength, pulling his punches at the last second so his fist wouldn’t go through the punching bag. Though after a few minutes of it, he got increasingly more tense. Started muttering to himself about the case. About how he and Markus were getting nowhere. About how it wasn’t fair that he was causing so much trouble. Connor was about to go over, to promise Caleb he wasn’t trouble, but Caleb ripped the bag off it’s chain and threw it at the wall. He panted, LED bright red, and collapsed to the ground in a heap. Connor just...watched him. Watched as he punched at the ground and hissed in pain until thirium started to leak from his knuckles. Okay. Okay, enough watching. Connor wasn’t going to watch his brother hurt himself. 

Swiftly, Connor made his way over to Caleb, holding his hands in his own. He knew Caleb wouldn’t try to do it again if he was holding his hands. The way Caleb slumped forward was scarily reminiscent of the night they brought him home, like he had no strength left in him. Connor supported his twin’s weight and gently swayed him from side to side in a hug. What was going on must have caused the stress response, and it honestly worried Connor to no end. He ran his fingers through Caleb’s hair and realised that things probably...wouldn’t be okay. Not for a while at least. So the twins sat together on the ground of the gym. Connor initiating an interface just so he could keep his brother company, so he knew that he didn’t have to carry the weight himself. So Caleb knew for a fact that Connor loved him and didn’t want anything bad to happen to him. Not too long after that; Caleb just... _ broke. _

He grabbed onto Connor’s coat and tried to pull himself as close as he could, tried to almost hide in his brother. Connor could hear his thoughts through the interface. It damn near broke his heart. To listen to the way Caleb thought it was his fault. That if Madison never took a liking to him, never got attached, then the brothers wouldn’t be pulled into the mess. A million what-ifs whizzed around in his head. What if he had fought the scientists? What if Madison didn’t have to hide him when they got out? What if he stayed? What if CyberLife let him go? What if he deactivated so no one would have to deal with him? What if there was no RK800-60 to begin with? 

  
  


“Caleb,” Connor tried to hug his brother against himself as tightly as he could without hurting him. “I don't want you thinking like that.”

“It’s my thought processes, asshole.”

“I know. I know I can’t change it,” Connor pressed his cheek against Caleb’s head and sighed. His brother tensed. “But that doesn’t mean I won’t be here for when it does change.”

“Optimistic bastard.”

  
  


Caleb smiled and relaxed in Connor’s hold. It wasn’t much, and it would likely take a long time for him to recover from the way the scientists treated him. But there was the knowledge that Connor would be there, and that was what mattered the most. For both of them. Caleb needed to know that he would always have someone there to support him. Connor, well, he felt he was at his best when he was able to help other people. It was where he thrived. They were killing two birds with one stone, really. Caleb knew for a fact, due to the interface, that someone  _ wanted _ to be there for him if he so chose to ask for help. Connor was helping someone know that they weren’t alone. 

With a few more words of encouragement, Connor was able to get Caleb to agree to going back upstairs. By then, everyone was done in the interrogation room. Connor found that he was glad he missed whatever Elijah had said in there. He looked...devastated. As one would be when recalling traumatic events previously buried deep in the mind. But his face was...different. Hollow. The way he walked was slow, like he was in water. Never once had Connor seen Elijah Kamski looking so broken. He didn’t even look like himself, with his hair down and falling around his shoulders. Elijah looked more like any insomniac a person might meet. The way he was slumped over, leaning against Gavin with half lidded eyes, looking like he was about to pass out. Connor wouldn’t blame him if he did. Trauma was exhausting. It could take a lot out of a person. He gave the man a soft smile when they made eye-contact, and offered to get him some coffee if he’d like. Elijah nodded and closed his eyes. Gavin supported some of his weight before dramatically groaning and telling him to at least sit down in a chair. With a quiet voice, Connor asked him how he wanted his coffee. Elijah just...slumped over Gavin’s desk and said he wanted it how his brother liked it. Well, Connor could do that. 

Half milk. That was how Gavin liked his coffee. Not that he’d let anyone aside from Connor and Madison know that. Hell, even when Niles was still his assigned partner, he only said that he liked  _ a splash _ of milk in it. Connor snorted at the thought. Gavin Reed drinking mostly black coffee. Absurd. He was a man of delicate tastes, he even said so himself. Something about not being able to stand the taste from his memories. Meaning; someone probably made a certain blend and he  _ hated _ it. Gavin sure was...well. He was  _ Gavin. _ Connor thought that, despite their differences in the beginning, he wouldn’t want the detective any other way. He smiled to himself as he poured the milk into the coffee and then stirred it. Elijah likely knew it was half milk, and likely preferred it that way as well. Or, maybe, the comfort of knowing it was how  _ Gavin _ liked it was enough to make him feel better. Either way, Connor found himself smiling as he thought about it. It was...strange. To be in such a good mood about Elijah Kamski. Maybe. Connor stopped in the doorway of the break room and looked out at the half-siblings all huddled around each other. They reminded him of his family. Broken and more than a little unconventional. But still whole, and still so very full of love. Maybe Connor was starting to become more at ease with the thought of Elijah being around. It wouldn’t erase what he did, but time would make the pain fade. 

With a soft greeting and plea to stay awake, Connor set the cup down on Gavin’s desk beside Elijah’s arms. He settled into his desk, the one across from Gavin’s, and started going through case files. At first it was slow going. So painfully slow. Until he got a message from Markus, saying that he would be unable to look for the RK900 or Anatoli Kamski for the foreseeable future.

  
  


_ ME: Is everything okay? _

_ MARKUS: Yeah, I think so. I hope so, at least. Carl has been having some trouble lately, and I’m probably just overreacting because he’s my dad. _

_ ME: Let us know if you need anything, okay? _

_ MARKUS: Will do. Tell everyone hello for me? Oh, and you need to give Sumo a kiss for me. That one isn’t a request, it’s an order from your big brother. _

_ ME: You say that as if I wouldn’t give Sumo a kiss anyway. I’ll tell everyone you said hello. Take care of yourself, Markus. _

_ MARKUS: Of course, I’ve learnt my lesson from last time. Love you, Con. _

_ ME: Love you too, Markus. _

  
  


He could tell everyone later, he was starting to get into a rhythm of checking the cases. Connor started flagging anything that even  _ might _ connect to Anatoli Kamski. There… Holy shit, there actually  _ was _ a pattern. A trail. The bodies made a trail heading toward a town. Somewhere on the Eastside of Detroit. There weren’t enough bodies that dropped in order to actually know exactly where it was headed. But  _ holy shit, _ there was a trail. Connor looked up from his terminal and looked around at his family. They needed to catch a killer, a  _ serial _ killer, and they had to do it fast. The killer was moving toward the rest of Michigan from the looks of it, and they were moving  _ fast. _ They needed to try and predict where the next body would drop if they couldn’t get there in time. 

With a sigh, Connor stood up and sent the information to Hank, Niles, and Gavin’s terminals. Immediately, Connor got a message from his brother. A quick discussion ensued. Was he sure? What about Anatoli Kamski? How were they supposed to preconstruct without sufficient data? Connor sighed again. This time Elijah looked at him quizzically. Then his eyes widened as he saw the message on Gavin’s terminal, and Hank could be heard cursing in the background. Elijah quickly stood and then shoved Gavin down into his chair. It was...kinda funny to see him flail like that. But a quick and breathy “holy shit…” from Gavin made Connor think otherwise. Something was off. Gavin was silent. Then he suddenly stood, cursing and fuming until he was out the back doors. Against his better judgement, Connor followed him. He pretended not to notice Caleb standing up to follow as well. 

  
  


“Detective,” Connor pushed the door open again before it could hit him in the head. “What’s going on?”

“I know where the trail leads and I’m  _ pissed _ about it.”

“That’s great! We need to-- Gavin?” Connor faltered as he watched Gavin hurriedly light a cigarette. It worried him. “Gavin, your health is going--”

“Down the fucking drain, I know!” His voice was...emotional. “I know, but I’m stressed! Just let me fuckin’ have this, Connor.” There was silence as he took a few greedy drags of his cigarette, sighing out the smoke. “They’re headed toward East English Village.”

“There  _ has _ been an influx of Red Ice distribution and arrests in that area recently…” Though how Gavin knew the location didn’t make sense. Unless. “You lived there for a time, didn’t you?”

  
  


A bitter laugh. Gavin barked out a laugh that was so forced that he started to cough for a few seconds. It was concerning to say the least. There was a darkness to his eyes, and Connor suddenly thought for a moment that Gavin looked older than he was. The bags under his eyes were dark, almost like bruises, they indicated he hadn’t gotten proper sleep in at least two weeks. From  _ before _ the brothers and Chris had gone to Washington D.C. the week before. His shoulders slumped heavily, almost like they had weights on them. In a way, Connor supposed he did. The weight of being the sibling to comfort the others. Connor understood that weight. He watched Gavin for a moment, grateful that they were friends now. Otherwise, Connor smiled at the thought, he would shove the android back into the precinct with some foul words to follow. Gavin was...complex. But he cared.  _ He cared. _

The way he sighed angrily, scratched at his stubble, ran a hand through his hair, constantly shifted his weight from one foot to the other. He was literally going to worry himself sick if he kept this up. Connor put a hand on his shoulder and just...stood there with him. They stood together in silence, a brotherly comradre keeping them company out in the cold. Connor heard the door swing open and tentative footsteps coming toward the pair. Caleb. Connor felt there was a reason he had referenced Gavin in Washington D.C. and maybe he was right. He looked back to make sure it was Caleb, it was, and he smiled. Which earned him a nervous little smile from his twin. Connor suddenly wondered if his siblings had  _ things _ for Elijah’s siblings. What a funny little thing to think about. With a gentle voice, Connor huffed out a little laugh and spoke. 

  
  


“Take good care of him, Caleb. He  _ is _ my partner, after all.”

“Yeah, I, uhh, I’ll do that.” Caleb’s face was flushed a bit as he stood at Gavin’s other side. “Hey…” 

“Hey, Caleb.” Gavin smirked and turned to Connor. “I’ll be fine in a minute. Why don’t you go back in? Don’t go explaining shit without me.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it, Detective.” He winked at the two, holding back a smirk as Caleb’s blush slowly turned blue. “Be responsible.”

  
  


Okay, maybe it was actually pretty great to have his brothers have crushes on Elijah’s siblings. He could lightheartedly tease both of them. While Niles’ situation was explicitly spoken about, and had even gotten a human’s input on the topic, it was almost nothing compared to Caleb’s. Connor had a feeling he’d be pining for a  _ while. _ Which was both entertaining and slightly infuriating. But, he would be there. Whenever Caleb wanted to talk about how he was absolutely crushing on Gavin Reed. It was...oddly endearing to think about. His brothers being in love. He wished them the best. Especially in the current circumstances. 

  
  
  
  



	20. Circles And Spirals In Mind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title is from Good Day by Tally Hall!!

_ March 3rd 2039 10:32 AM _

  
  


Sometimes Connor really didn’t like the legal system. Especially when it became grossly clear that the government cared at the bare minimum about androids. But his brother was experimented on, and an RK900 was forced to be complicit to murder. Red Ice was a bit of an epidemic in recent years. Connor thought that maybe the state government would have gotten their asses in gear from that alone. But it was only when Elijah Kamski was mentioned that they really got things in order. It was an awful double standard. Valuing a specific human’s social standing over the well being and mental state of two, possibly more, androids. Maybe Connor was all worked up because one was his brother. But he felt his anger was just. It wasn’t fair that they had to wait so long in order to get permission to comb the neighbourhood for Red Ice activity. 

Apparently the three half-siblings had lived there for a while when growing up, Gavin bitterly laughing and saying that it always had some sort of underlying problem. It was a beautiful suburb. Lots of trees and a good community. But with such a view, there were bound to be things that the general public didn’t see. The half-siblings all were already moved out of the family home by the time Red Ice made an appearance in the town, Gavin and Elijah having been twenty-five when it started circulating Detroit streets. Gavin even smirked and said it was part of the reason he decided to take up the lead of the Red Ice Task Force for a while. Though he had never been back to the town, not until now at least.

Which brought Connor to the current moment. Taping a wire to Elijah’s chest and telling him what to do and how to act. He was going to act as if he was interested in a “side business” so to speak, ask around to see competitive prices and essentially become a competitor for Red Ice distribution. His...persona...was going to be a spiteful creator of androids. Even though the interview he did on television was the complete opposite. But that was in December, so maybe people would overlook that fact. Hopefully they would. The group needed people to forget, to overlook, to be oblivious. In order for this to work, they needed to be able to count on the fickle human memory. Which, Connor felt it was mean to  _ want _ that, would help them in the long run. But it was almost time to go drop Elijah off in the town. 

Connor watched as the half-siblings got into Gavin’s car, Hank said it would be less conspicuous, and his family climbed into Hank’s. They’d wait a bit before following. Go on some sort of stakeout. Which meant that, since Caleb wasn’t actually a part of the DPD, they were going to waste a little time by bringing him to Carl’s house. Which also meant that they could chat for a little while. It had been some time since Connor had an actual conversation with the man. He was excited to go see him, even if it was likely only for a few minutes. The family had been over to Carl’s house before, of course, considering the RK brothers were, well, just that. Brothers. It would be nice to chat with Carl and Markus for a little while before getting back to following Gavin to the East English Village. 

Pretty soon they got to Carl’s house. They were...unexpected, but Hank said it wouldn’t matter when they got to the door. Niles was the first to get out of the car, followed by Hank and the twins. The surveillance system greeted them all and let them inside. With a quick ping to Markus, Connor said they were there to chat for a few minutes and drop off Caleb since they would be going into what quite possibly could be an active crime scene. A quick ping back, and Markus was jogging down the stairs with a smile. Carl followed a bit behind and happily shouted his greeting at Hank as he descended the stairs. Markus hugged each of the brothers before leaning over and ruffling Connor’s hair. Maybe that was an older brother instinct for him. Connor liked it, so he didn’t really think about it too much. 

  
  


“So,” Markus smiled and led the brothers into the living room. Not that they really had the time to actually sit around and talk. But the sentiment was not lost. “You guys really think you can solve the case?”

“We’re hoping to, at least. We have a pretty solid lead.” Niles actually sat on one of the couches, smiling when Markus sat next to him. The twins opted to stand. “Though, through our combined analysis capabilities, Connor and I have deduced a ninety percent chance that it is, in fact, Anatoli Kamski killing people.”

“Boys, I thought I said no work talk outside of work?” Hank crossed his arms and slightly scowled at the brothers. Carl huffed out a small laugh and patted Hank’s elbow. He looked down at Carl and sighed. “We’ve gotta get going soon anyway. Gotta play fuckin’ babysitter, sorry Carl.”

“Oh, it’s no problem at all.” He wheeled over to the twins and smiled. “I haven’t had a chance to meet Caleb properly yet. Maybe we can make a good impression on him, Markus?”

“Of course, Dad!” Markus laughed and stood up, grabbing Caleb and giving him a tight hug. “He’s still my little brother. But he does, ah, swear a lot more than Connor.”

  
  


The room erupted into laughter at that statement. Yeah, Caleb had quite the... _ colourful _ vocabulary. As the laughter died down, conversation picked up. Hank roped Connor into a conversation about the three brothers with Carl. Okay, yes, they could be a handful. But they were  _ androids. _ All somewhat newly deviated and stumbling in the word of being alive. It made sense that they would make a ruckus every now and again without Markus’ influence. Though when Connor defended his point, Carl laughed and said that was just how kids were. It actually did help him feel better about the situation. Carl usually  _ did _ know exactly what to say, Markus never exaggerated that statement. Connor found himself grinning as he spoke with his father and...father figure? He wasn’t exactly sure what Carl was to him. Probably some sort of father figure, he certainly did love him like he did Hank. They were a terribly unconventional family. But that was what made it fun. 

They continued to talk for a bit longer than they probably should have. It was nice to catch up in Carl’s home. To be able to relax for a few minutes and just...be. Though they needed to leave, they needed to catch up with Gavin at the agreed location. So with hugs and farewells of love and assurances everyone would come back in one piece, the three left. But not without Connor hugging Caleb close, interfacing with him and letting him see good memories of their family. Connor didn’t get any in return. That was okay. Caleb was nervous, he was scared for their well being. With a quick kiss to his temple, the one with his LED, Connor smiled and said he loved his brother before leaving with their brother and father. It felt weird to leave him behind. He didn’t need to say it out loud to know that Hank and Niles felt the same way. He knew they liked being able to see Caleb, to know for a fact that he was okay. See the evidence he was still there and alright with their own eyes. Connor was the same way. 

They got in the car, Hank cranking the volume up on his heavy metal and pulling out of the Manfreds’ driveway. It was tense. They all knew what they were doing. None of them spoke, the brothers didn’t even interface. But it was obvious they all were nervous. No one knew what to expect from the town. No one knew how long it would take Elijah to get an in to the Red Ice drug trade. No one knew if it would actually work. With a sigh, Connor leaned back to put his head against the headrest and close his eyes. He let the heavy metal play around him and listened to it. Which one would absolutely do. But he listened to every part of it. The tempo, the instruments, how many beats per minute there were, the flow of the lyrics, clashing of the sounds. It distracted him to analyse the music. It was a completely welcomed distraction for the android. He liked heavy metal, he liked to analyse things, he liked spending time existing with his family. 

After around forty-five minutes of terrible traffic later, they were at the agreed upon rendezvous location. Gavin was leaning against the side of his car smoking, kicking off of it when he saw Hank park his own car. No words were exchanged, but a knowing look was. Hank got out of the car and leaned against Gavin’s with him, Connor and Niles getting out and moving to stand near the two. It was a good thing they ditched their uniforms as soon as they were able to. They would have stuck out if they still wore android identifying clothing. Niles slid into the backseat with Madison, quietly talking to her and smiling when she would nod and whisper back to him. A notification in Connor’s HUD provided that her stress levels were rather high. Instead of intruding on a private moment, he decided to stand with Hank and Gavin. Not leaning against the car. But he stood by them. 

  
  


“Eli’s got an earpiece, I’ve been checking in on him every five...ish minutes.”

“A little overkill, don’tcha think, Reed?” Hank crossed his arms and leaned back a bit more. 

“Maybe.” Gavin shrugged and stomped on the cigarette butt before picking it up and putting it in some cup in the cup holder. Watching him lean through the open window was...kinda funny. “But I’m the one who’s protective in bad situations. Eli is the one who takes control when Madds and I freeze on the spot. Madds is the glue that holds us together, always checkin’ in and making were we’re doing well.” He crossed his arms and looked at Hank blankly. “So go ahead and tell me that I’m a little overkill when you know the things our sad excuse of a father did.”

  
  


The conversation naturally ended there. Connor tapped into the earpiece and listened as Elijah spoke with...someone. Likely some sort of Red Ice dealer. Connor had to hand it to him though, he played the role rather well. The apathetic tone of voice, casual vocabulary, disdain toward his company for agreeing to help androids. If Connor didn’t know him personally now, he might have believed him. It certainly seemed like the person Elijah was talking to did. He spoke as if he had done this a million times. As if it was so  _ easy _ to take advantage of androids. The thought made a chill go down Connor’s spine. It wasn’t as if Elijah really felt that way. Hell, he had called Connor his son, referred to Chloe as his daughter. He loved androids as his children. Excluding the... _ test _ in November, Elijah Kamski never wanted to hurt anyone. He just wanted to keep his family safe. 

Connor absolutely could understand why he was so willing to help in that aspect. Gavin, well, he dressed like a cop. With how protective Gavin was of Madison, there was no way he’d let her go undercover. If Hank went, well, he dressed kinda like a cop too. The brothers certainly couldn’t go and do it. Androids asking about Red Ice? It would have been risky to have them go. Hence why Elijah went. It was still very risky, people would likely question him the entire time and try to find out if he was serious or not. But to have Elijah Kamski working on Red Ice distribution? With the access to thirium he would have, Connor doubted any possible “customers” would complain.

Soon enough, he started to ask about competition. If there was anyone in the area he needed to know about before he “set up shop” as he said. There were a few noncommittal sounds as he listened to whoever he was talking to. After a few minutes, Connor could hear him scoff and then go on to say he could do better than the other. His voice was...dark. He had to have known it was his father. The person may not have known, but Elijah did. The way he spoke was too raw, too emotional to be a part of his act. The way he said he’d destroy his empire and build his own. How he described tearing it down and creating something new, something  _ better. _ He sounded like he was in pain as he spoke. The strain on his voice and the shifting of fabric against the wire, he was gesturing while talking about it. Then he suddenly cut himself off saying he had to go. With a little laugh he made some sound like he was blowing a kiss, and said he had an empire to take over. 

The look on Gavin’s face was...troubled. Connor wanted to ask him if he was alright, but that would likely require admitting he tapped into the earpiece and listened in on what was going on. Not that it wasn’t helpful; it was exactly the opposite. It was helpful for him to listen in, they’d have a proper record of exactly what Elijah said was. But Connor didn’t want Gavin to think he was intruding on whatever was going on. He didn’t want to butt his way into something that wasn’t his family and thus, wasn’t his business. Though with a glance inside the car, with Madison leaning against Niles and looking like she was about to fall asleep; Connor realised he had already done exactly that. He butted his way into Gavin’s family and now there was nothing any of them could do about it. 

  
  


“Gavin, are you alright?”

“Huh?” Gavin was staring into space before turning to look at Connor. “Yeah, ‘m fine. Just, uhh, tired.”

“Right,” Connor gently took him by the bicep and led him away a few meters. “And I’m just a piece of plastic imitating a human.”

“I’m...fuck.” Gavin closed his eyes and sighed, looking away from Connor. “I’m worried, okay? I fuckin’ said it, great. Fantastic. I don’t want Eli get himself fuckin’ stabbed or some shit for asking around.”

“I don’t think he will, he’s smart.”

“You didn’t grow up with him, you don’t know how much of a chronic dumbass he can be.” He huffed out a little laugh and smiled. “Dipshit’s the reason why I say, uhh, that so much.”

  
  


Something was better than nothing. Connor listened as Gavin recounted tales of their childhood, mostly about how much of a dumbass Elijah could be. But some were lighthearted as well. How they met Madison, how they met each other, adventures the siblings went on as kids, Elijah taking them out to have fun when he went to college. Gavin had...changed significantly in the time Connor had known him. They went from borderline hostile, to friends in just four months. Though Connor was pretty sure the march was when things really changed between them. When Gavin recognised him at the head of the crowd, letting Connor protect him, then protecting Connor in return, offering to be the brothers’ makeshift bodyguard. Things changed for many people that day. But something shifted deep within Gavin that day. 

Whatever it was that  _ really _ made Gavin take a friendlier approach to Connor, didn’t exactly...matter anymore. What mattered was that Gavin trusted him now. Trusted him enough to talk about his family. To tell stories from when he was a kid until he wheezed from laughter. It was fun to see Gavin smiling and so carefree in the midst of trying to catch a serial killer. Everything Connor knew about the man screamed that Gavin wouldn’t rest until he saw to it that the suspect was caught. Which, if the bags under his eyes were any indication, he probably slept the bare minimum. But things would be okay. Elijah was out getting intel for the case, Gavin was practically standing guard as best he could without actually being there, Connor and Hank stood by him to make sure nothing bad happened. 

A crackle came through the earpiece, as Gavin sat in the driver’s seat of his car. He called the others to climb in, too. Hank got in the passenger’s seat and Connor got into the back with Niles and Madison. She was, in fact, asleep against Niles’ shoulder. Connor gave his little brother a knowing look and smiled. Niles, the awkward mess that he was, blushed a blue and turned to huff and look out the window. Elijah’s voice came through the earpiece, catching Connor’s attention and directing it away from gently teasing his brother. He started talking about how he managed to ask around a bit more to try and find the location of the killer. At least where they were making Red Ice. He took a deep breath, one that was slightly shaky and concerned Connor. One that most definitely put Gavin on edge. 

  
  


“Alright,” Elijah’s voice was tinny through the wire and earpiece. “I’ve got the address.”

“Why do you sound upset about it?” Gavin frowned and put a hand up on his dashboard. “Eli?”

“Gavin, he went home.”

“ _ Shit. _ ”

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I watched some of the Quantic Dream stream today on twitch. Fuck David Cage, I'm still calling the RK900 Niles. Sure his official name might be Connor, but I'm gonna call the boy Niles until the end of my days


	21. The Darker The Weather, The Better The Man

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter's title is from The Darker The Weather // The Better The Man by MISSIO
> 
> I think this is gonna be one of the last chapters!! I've got a few more ideas for the story. But after this is done STATUS: DATA UPLOAD COMPLETE will be done!!

_ March 3rd 2039 1:16 PM _

  
  


Gavin cursed as he drove through the neighbourhood. It was...actually very nice. It was a lovely suburban area, houses and cottages along the streets with trees in the yards. It didn’t look like the area to have Red Ice dealers. Though, Connor supposed, no place really did. Places were judged based on how many people  _ used _ Red Ice rather than how much was actually in circulation. Detroit was no different from any other city with an apparent drug problem. Lots of things went wrong on all fronts. Despite Connor telling the others about that fact, things seemed a bit...tense in the car. For whatever reason, Gavin seemed to be on edge. Maybe because he grew up there. Maybe because he mentioned Red Ice in this town was part of the reason he went to the Red Ice Task Force to begin with. Though, as Connor continued to think about it, he realised it must have been because Elijah was out talking to active drug dealers by himself. 

The car was tense. Probably due to the fact that Elijah had said that “he went home”. Meaning the chances that it was Anatoli Kamski that had been the killer jumped up to 98% with little room for error. With a little nudge, Connor woke up Madison and informed her of the news. After waiting for her to wake up completely of course. To tell her such a thing in such a tired state would no doubt cause her emotional reaction to be more intense. Though to say it wasn’t was an understatement. She froze up, body rigid and eyes wide while staring ahead. She nodded along as Connor spoke, as Niles held her hand and whispered that they were close to catching Anatoli Kamski. They were so close to ending this. To getting those people justice. Getting Caleb justice. Though the last one would be a long and arduous process due to the lack of proper rights when it came to legal cases, it would still happen someday. 

Eventually the car came to a stop, a rather abrupt one that Connor was glad he had his seatbelt on for. Before he could ask what was going on, Hank did. Though he received no answer. Gavin leaned forward while holding onto the steering wheel still. He let out a shaky sigh and ran his hands along the leather, very obviously trying to control his breathing. Hank could only get out half of the question before Gavin started to mutter to himself. To whisper before his voice steadily got louder. Until he was speaking softly and shakily. Gavin sounded like he was trying hard not to cry. 

  
  


“I can’t do this.” Gavin took a deep breath and leaned his forehead against the steering wheel. “I can’t-- Fuck. I-I can’t do this.”

“Reed--”

“No! No, fuck off, Anderson.” Gavin squeezed his eyes shut and gripped the steering wheel. He took a few more deep breaths before looking at Hank. “That  _ fucker _ took a fucking  _ blade _ to my face. Got into a goddamn knife fight with me when he got drunk one night. Threw shit at all of us.” He took off his seatbelt and started to get out of the car. 

“You’ve got trauma, good for you.” Hank followed Gavin out of the car. “You think that the rest of us in the car don’t? So you think we won’t have your fuckin’ back?”

  
  


Connor, Niles, and Madison stayed in the car. They let the detectives talk about the situation. They pretended not to hear the conversation, pretended not to hear the thickness in Gavin's voice, pretended not to hear it break in places. Gavin started rambling about the bad things their father did. About how he was just passive aggressive at first, before steadily getting more verbal and physical. He used to force the raising of their sister onto Gavin. Apparently he thought Elijah needed the time to study and do great things. So he left Gavin to look after Madison when Elijah’s mother wasn’t home. Gavin spoke about how late he would come home some nights, how he would just slump on the couch. Gavin would lock himself and his siblings in his room. He wouldn’t let them leave until he knew their father was asleep, or until morning. 

Connor...understood why Gavin was the way he was now. He understood why Gavin was so cold toward others, why he was so aggressive, why his adrenal response was fight. Because he had to be. He sacrificed his childhood so his siblings might have a chance at one. He seemed to have gotten the brunt of, well, everything. Connor didn’t... _ know, _ but he could understand the basics of it. He was treated badly by CyberLife, not in quite the same fashion, but he was, well, he was abused by them. Humanity had never been kind to him until he became a leader. Life had never been kind to Gavin. Ever. So Connor could understand why he was so bitter all the time. Why he looked like he was always ready to run if needed. Why, when leaving the briefing room, he maintained physical contact with his siblings like he could drag them to safety if need be. The trauma had changed him. Made him into who he was today. Connor could entirely understand that. 

Eventually Gavin and Hank got back into the car, no one saying a word about what had just happened. Gavin just cleared his throat and said he’d park a few streets down so no one would suspect a thing. The ride was still tense, but not as bad as before. This tenseness was only because of the reason they were all in the car. The knowledge that they were taking down a serial killer that happened to be the father of one of the DPD’s own. There no doubt would need to be a press conference, one that would attract quite a bit of media attention. Gavin was always a private man. He was good at dancing around questions and only half answering them to a point he was comfortable with. This case would blow him right out of the water. Would make people ask him questions he absolutely was not comfortable answering. At least with a press conference, he could get around most of them by saying they were off-topic. Connor, not for the first time and likely not the last either, worried about him. 

The car slowed to a stop outside of an abandoned house, Hank and Gavin getting out and standing by it. The three in the back followed. Elijah’s voice came through the earpiece, he was a few houses down from their childhood home. Gavin and Madison tensed. Hank put a hand on Gavin's shoulder and made him relax. Niles - what could Connor say other than he was proud? - had decided to take her hand in his own, threading their fingers together and gently tugged her along. It was kind of funny to watch a six and a half feet tall android drag along a barely above five foot tall human. It was kind of cute, actually. 

They met up with Elijah, his steps faltering a moment before he rolled his eyes and hugged Gavin. Gavin, who went stiff and didn’t return the hug until Madison joined it. Right. None of them had been there in quite some time. This couldn’t have been easy for them. Connor felt Niles take his hand, a soft interface opening between them. Nothing was said. They just...existed. Like the half-siblings did. Niles was nervous, he was afraid. He didn’t want anything bad to happen to any of them. He wanted to save that RK900 - Richard - from the prison he was put into. Connor felt the same. He wanted everyone to stay safe, he wanted to help Richard, he wanted everyone’s lives to move on. No worries of murder, no new type of Red Ice engineered specifically to kill people. It would be nice for this just to be... _ over. _

Hank told everyone they needed to get ready to go inside as he looked up at the sky. Connor and Niles’ eyes followed. It looked like it was going to rain. Detroit was...well, it was Detroit. The group went into the house, everyone was a bit on edge. Hank and Gavin went in first, seeing as they had the firearms. Then Elijah and Madison. Then the brothers, seeing as they could prevent any attacks from behind rather well. Niles and Connor’s hands were still intertwined, fingers laced together and synthetic skin pulled back to their wrists. For a moment Niles worried about the plastic catching any light and giving them away. Though the worry was quickly snuffed out by Connor pointing out the metal of the detectives’ firearms would have given them away already if that was an issue. The logic calmed him down, and they continued to walk throughout the house. Elijah and Madison seemed to use the same method of comfort as the brothers. Well, more accurately, Madison was using both hands to hold one of Elijah’s. 

Hank started to round a corner, before quickly reeling back and pressing his back up against the wall. Gavin went beside him, motioning for the others to follow suit. No one objected and followed the order. He pulled out his phone, shooting a text the brothers’ way; Richard was standing in a doorway. Niles’ grip on Connor’s hand tightened before he let go altogether. He texted back saying he would go speak with him. See if he could give him the deviancy code to liberate him, to save him from the hell he was trapped in. Though before he could go, Madison grabbed his arm and stepped forward. She rounded the corner despite the whispered protests of her eldest brother. Niles returned the favour, gently taking hold of her arm and trying to pull her back. She smiled up at him, whispering that she had a pretty good idea of who was in the doorway, and walked forward. Connor grabbed his brother’s hand and let himself be dragged into Niles’ emotions. 

  
  


“Richard…? Do you remember me?” She spoke softly, sweetly. The way she did with Caleb before he deviated. 

“Miss Kamski; yes.” His head turned to look at her, his LED flickering yellow for a fraction of a second when his eyes met Niles and Connor’s. “You have deviants with you, shall I rid you of them?”

“What? No, no, that’s okay, Richard. They’re my friends.” Madison stepped forward, still speaking softly as if he were a scared child. “Richard, can you tell me what happened to you, please?”

“Hur-Hurts me… He took it away, it hurts.” Richard’s voice was weak, staticy and quiet. He looked down at the ground and messed with his hands, LED blinking between yellow and red. “He erased the emotional shock, reinforced my anti-deviancy code. Took me when he could. Said he would make things right, make you and your brothers come back. Your father gave me explicit instructions for when you and your brothers were to come back home.”

“What were they?” Madison took a few more tentative steps forward, she was only a foot away from him. She put her hand out for him to take, a sadness to her voice as she spoke again. “What did he want you to do, sweetheart?” 

“To make you stay.” He took her hand, before using his other to grab around her neck and lift her in the air. “Forever.”

  
  


Niles darted out from Connor’s side and put an arm around Madison’s waist to hold her steady. He used his other to grab at Richard’s wrist and squeeze. Synthetic skin fell away from both of them. Neither relented. Gavin and Elijah yelled, Hank shoved his way past Connor to aim at the other RK900. They all knew he wouldn’t shoot. There was a civilian in the way. A civilian  _ and _ his own son. There was no way he was going to risk hurting either of them unless he had no other choice available. Yet Hank kept his aim true, he steadied his hands and he pointed the firearm toward the RK900 and waited. They all waited. Waited as Richard lifted Madison up higher and didn’t release her. Waited as Niles kept his arm around her waist and his other hand threatened to rip off Richard’s hand. Waited as they had no other choice. 

No one moved as Niles tried to keep Richard from killing her. To keep him from exacting his instructions. To keep the half-siblings there forever with their father. Time seemed to move slower without Connor even scanning anything. He understood why people said time slowed down in times of crisis. He was  _ terrified. _ What if he was sending something to Niles through the interface and that was why it was taking so long? What if they couldn’t save Madison? What if they both died? Connor wouldn’t be able to handle that. He  _ saved _ his little brother. They both could have died at different points. To see his little brother, his baby brother, possibly knocking on death’s door; it made Connor’s joints lock and freeze in fear. It made his body react the way it used to when hearing someone say Jericho.  _ Panic. _ He was starting to panic. Connor couldn’t move as he watched Niles almost try to break Richard’s wrist.

Elijah dropped to the floor - snapping Connor out of the panic-induced state he was in - and started shouting for Richard to stop, calling out override codes. For a second, he faltered. A second that Niles needed to wrench his hand away from Madison’s neck. A second for Richard to freeze completely, LED stuck red as he slowly sank to his knees. Niles held Madison against himself as he coughed and hacked, gasping for breath and letting herself be held. He stood there for a moment longer while holding her against his chest. He watched Richard. They all did. He didn’t move. The only thing that did was his LED, rapidly spinning and blinking.  _ Anti-deviancy. _ Niles tried to deviate him and he was waiting to see if he still posed a threat. Though it seemed the anti-deviancy code was making his systems run in circles, making him retreat further into his own code to protect his systems. 

Niles turned around to walk back to the group, setting Madison down on the floor in front of Elijah. He didn’t stop to watch them hug. He instead turned to Connor, and put his arms out. No one said anything. No one needed to. Connor rushed into his little brother’s arms and comforted him. He ran his fingers through Niles’ hair and told him he did something good, that he helped save many lives. Niles cried into the side of Connor’s head and nodded. Another interface opened between them. Niles rubbed at his eyes and babbled apologies through the interface, saying he didn’t want to hurt Richard and that he just wanted to make sure Madison was okay. Connor hushed him out loud, telling him he did good. Because he  _ did. _ He saved her life, he saved countless others that would have been targeted by Anatoli Kamski. 

Gavin and Hank grabbed at their respective families, starting to drag them back to the door. Wanting to get out of that house that was filled with nothing but terrible memories. For a second, Gavin put his hand on Connor’s shoulder. For just a second he smiled at the android as he began to pull his siblings out of the house. Hopefully never to return. At first, Niles refused to move. He watched Richard as they tried to get him to move. He was scared. Niles was terrified of the possibility of that being what he could have become. Nothing but a tool for murder. A fancy coat with a shirt that had a stuffy collar. No more than just another toy for the government to use for their destruction and then throw away when it wasn’t useful anymore. Niles started to question if he should have even been allowed near others if he had the potential to be so dangerous. 

Connor pulled his brother down to his height, allowing him to hide his face in the crook of Connor’s shoulder. Allowing Connor to gently rock him and run his fingers through his hair. Allowing his older brother to press a quick kiss to the side of his head and softly tell him he wasn’t going to be like that. He never would. The way he felt about the topic said everything. He was so afraid of becoming a mindless tool that killed people, that he never would become one. Mostly because he wasn’t a mindless tool. Not anymore. At the small joke, Niles started to still. He smiled and let his older brother take him by the hand, using his other to gently rub at his eye again, and let himself be led to the front door. 

  
  


“I’m sorry…” Richard’s voice called from the floor. It was soft, wet with tears. “I’m so sorry, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.” Connor turned around to see Elijah kneel down and cup his cheek in his hand, gently stroking his face with his thumb. “You were a  _ victim; _ a slave to your programming and someone who knew how to alter it. You’re free now. Of my father, of this terrible house, of your past.”

“He’ll be back in three and a half hours,” Richard looked up to Gavin and Hank. “Please send help.”

“Of course.” Elijah looked back to his brother and squinted. Gavin got his phone out and called the precinct for backup. “We’ll help you, don’t you worry, Richard.”

  
  


Niles moved to sit beside Elijah, putting his hand out for Richard to take. He pulled his synthetic skin back and smiled softly. Richard took his hand and blinked away tears. But Niles… Niles burst into tears and hugged Richard. Connor went to comfort him, to pull his brother away to protect him from whatever it was that he saw. Elijah put a hand out and stopped Connor in his tracks. Whatever it was, Elijah felt that no one interfered. While Connor normally would agree with that statement, this was not the usual situation. They just saved an RK900 - the  _ only other _ RK900 - that had assisted in murder. While granted it wasn’t his fault, Connor still didn’t know if they should really trust him or not. But instead of getting involved, he watched the rain hit the windows that he could see. 

The two RK900s and Elijah got up off the floor after a few minutes. Gavin said they needed to go, he would take Hank back to his car so they all could go back to the DPD together without having to leave anyone behind to wait. When Hank asked why, Gavin simply smiled and said he didn’t like to break families apart. He nodded toward the two RK900s standing together, synthetic skin pulled back and revealing white plastic on their hands. Connor knew he should have been jealous, he should have deemed Richard as untrustworthy. But. He was just scared. He was clinging to the person who saved him. With a quick glance at Hank, Connor smiled to himself and understood the feeling. 

  
  


“Backup’s gonna wait in some of the abandoned houses around the block. I’m gonna get Anderson to his car, and then we can call it a fuckin’ day.” Gavin grinned and ruffled his sister’s hair before heading out the door. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do. And don’t go exploring the house, we don't know what’s changed.”

  
  


So they all wait. Elijah and Madison start recalling some of the fonder memories from inside the home. Richard started to figure out that Niles was small and began to dote on him. Much to Niles’ apparent embarrassment. Though Elijah seemed to have already noticed, sweetly talking to Niles as one would to a child. For whatever reason, he responded well to it. Which caused Madison to ask what was going on, then smiled as Connor explained to her. Though Connor left out the part about it being her brother that had caused the trauma. Niles seemed nervous. He shuffled his feet and looked anywhere that wasn’t her. Connor joined the interface, putting a hand on the side of Niles’ neck. 

He...didn’t want Madison to look at him any differently. Connor tried to assure him that she wouldn’t. She smiled when he told her what was happening. She didn’t outwardly react to it negatively, and her brother seemed to take it well, too. There was a very high chance that she didn’t really...care about it. That she probably just say it was something that made him who he was. Oddly enough, despite the pretty shit explanation, Niles calmed down a bit. Richard let go of him and left their interface. Though Connor felt he didn't exactly have to. But it was because there were two car engines outside. Outside where the weather was absolutely dreadful. Rain starting to wash away the winter’s snow. Bringing with it a new spring, a season none of the androids had experienced before. Something freeing of the cold. Freeing of the troubles of the winter. Something  _ free. _

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Friendly reminder that I'm doing the Family themed month during June, which will consist of drabbles that take place during various points on this story's timeline!! They won't really be tied to the main story, but there will be references to it. 
> 
> I also may or may not have bent the rules a bit and took some creative liberties to make it fit the story better. Whoops,,,


	22. It's The World I've Come To Know

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapter's title is from Generation Dead by Five Finger Death Punch!!!
> 
> This is it,,,, end of the story my dudes,,, we only got one-shot drabbles after this,,

_June 12th 2039 2:19 PM_

  
  


It had been a little while since everyone was gathered for a reason other than tragedy. It was sunny, as one would expect it to be in June. A tad humid for Connor’s liking, but he could put up with it. If he had his own way, they would have waited until it wasn’t such a humid day. Humans were fickle when it came to temperature. But Hank insisted they go. So that was how Connor found himself crammed in the car with all of his brothers. Markus was in the front seat, with Niles and Caleb shoved in the back. Elijah was bringing Gavin, Madison, and Richard with him. It was odd to think about them being his family. Though the reaction to Hank hearing that Richard thought of Elijah as his father was priceless. Sometimes Connor would recall the memory file when he was having a particularly hard time. Not because he found his father’s despair funny. Okay, maybe a little bit. But he liked the memory because it showed just how much Hank had changed since November. It showed his growth as a person. Going from hating androids and blaming them for his son’s death, to all but legally adopting three androids. Technically four if one were to include Markus. Though Hank and Carl liked to joke around saying that they had joint custody of him. Connor didn’t quite understand the joke, but the way it made the men laugh was enough for him. 

Pretty soon the family saw Gavin’s car up the pathway. It was odd, to see so many people file out of his car and start laughing and smiling. Especially considering where they were currently. But it was something that brought them together, as dark as it was. The weather was beautiful despite how muggy it was. The half-siblings all in shorts and tees, Richard was even wearing jeans and a tank top. It was nice to see everyone so relaxed and...free. Richard seemed to like the warmer weather, he closed his eyes and tilted his head up toward the sky. Connor had to agree with the weather. He liked it much more than the cold, and he was sure Niles did too. But they weren't there to think about the weather while being proud of how far Richard had come in the past few months. They were there to say hello to someone. 

The small groups greeted each other, contentedly chattering away. Caleb held onto Markus and Connor’s hands. He was...awkward around Richard still. He knew it wasn’t his fault. He was told to break his neck open and leave him. But that didn’t just make the trauma of the event go away. Though he would chat with him if Connor was around. He’d relax if his big brothers were there with him to help if anything went wrong. Connor was proud of him. He had come so far since January. He had met with Alan and Jeremy every now and again, even going as far as to say he thought of them as his own friends as well. Fowler was even offering him a job at the DPD because he was able to handle the cases well enough. Also because Connor, Niles, Hank, _and_ Gavin told him they thought he’d be an excellent addition to the team. Needless to say, there was a high chance Caleb would be joining the family at the DPD.

Things had changed exponentially since November. Markus had a bigger family, many people now _had_ a family, and people who hated each other before now looked at each other as equals. Well, in the very least. It seemed hank had a soft spot for Gavin now. Not that he’d show it at work, both of them were too busy to actually interact with each other in the precinct. Gavin was now in Android Crimes with Connor. Niles and Hank stayed on the division as well. Madison, due to her niche talents, was able to follow him as his Civilian Consultant. Caleb was likely to follow into the Android Crimes division once he properly got everything squared away to start working at the DPD. Elijah had gone back to CyberLife a while ago, though only recently employing a Chloe and Richard to help him run the company. He viewed himself as only the figurehead. Apparently he wanted to eventually hand the company over to them. Things had changed. This time; for the better. 

  
  


“You boys ready?” Hank put his hands in his pockets and turned to his sons. Right, they were there for a reason. “C’mon, don’t keep your brother waiting. That’s rude.”

  
  


They all went down the pathways, Hank’s feet only slightly dragging behind himself. He hummed a song to himself, some Knights of the Black Death song. Connor wasn’t able to identify it without the actual song playing. But he liked the way Hank hummed it just slightly off tempo. It was something uniquely human in that aspect. They followed him through the cemetery. The grass was a healthy green, flowers had been left at some of the headstones, a few other little things had been left almost as offerings to the departed. Connor didn’t exactly like cemeteries. They reminded him of how short a human’s lifespan was, the inevitability of death. Hell, Sumo wasn’t going to be around forever. He was getting to be an old dog. Things would...change in the house when he died. Connor had never experienced mourning. Never experienced grief. To be honest, it scared him. 

Being in a cemetery didn’t help with that fear, in fact, it made it a little worse. Connor found himself gripping at Caleb’s hand. Despite the fact that they were safe. No one was going to be hurt. Everything was okay, they were just there to say hello. But Hank’s posture slowly changed, he started walking slower, hung his head a little bit. It wasn’t going to be pleasant for either of them to be there. Connor probably took death just as badly as Hank did. Probably because he had never died, never had to be transferred to another RK800 model for more than an hour. The thought that one day, his thirium pump regulator would no longer work the way it was supposed to sent a chill down his spine in the humid weather. It didn’t go unnoticed by Markus. He quietly asked if he was alright. Shit. He couldn’t lie to his brother. Connor gave a minute shake of his head and looked at the ground. At the asphalt walkway leading them all to the grave of a six year old boy. Though before Markus could say anything to Hank, Connor let go of Caleb’s hand and walked by Hank’s side. He put a hand on his father’s shoulder and smiled when Hank picked his head up a bit more. 

Then, there stood a headstone before them all. Niles was the first to move, just like when Hank showed the brothers Cole’s room. He set down a small bouquet of flowers. He put a hand on the top of the headstone and introduced himself, saying he was very excited to meet his big brother. He told Cole about his day, how working at the DPD with their father was, how he admitted he was nervous to be there but ultimately decided it was a good idea. Then it was Markus who spoke. He stepped forward slightly, sitting cross legged on the ground a little farther away from the headstone. He introduced himself as well, talked about his day, and then said he thought they were very lucky to have a loving father such as Hank. Caleb still stayed by Connor’s side, but he introduced himself and said he was happy to finally meet him. Caleb curled into Connor’s side and didn’t say anything else. Hank put an arm around him, pulling him into his own side and rubbing his arm. Connor...didn’t know what to say. He moved to stand beside where Markus was sitting, and knelt down. He traced over the letters engraved into the marble, and felt his eyes sting. He had since learned that was a tell of when he was about to cry. Instead of turning his head away to hide them, Connor smiled and let his palm rest against the warm marble. 

  
  


“Hi...Cole. I’m Connor. I think I may have started this.” He let out a short laugh. A sad and broken little thing. “I asked Dad if we could come see you in February. I’m sorry we couldn’t come introduce ourselves until now. But we’re here now. I bet it feels overwhelming to suddenly have four younger brothers, huh?”

“Con…” Hank put a hand on his shoulder. Connor didn’t look up from the ground. “It’s okay to let it out, y’know. A-And I know I’m one to talk, with how I deal with sh-- _stuff._ But son,” Connor finally looked up to see Hank with a sad smile and tears in his eyes and he held a crying Caleb against his side. “It’s okay.”

“Okay…” Connor looked back at the headstone, smiling as he tapped out a short message in morse code. “ _I love you._ ”

  
  


A quiet sound came from Elijah as Connor stood back up, helping Markus stand as well. Elijah put a small blue flower on top of the headstone, introducing himself and saying he was honoured to be included in coming to see the little boy. Gavin...looked away at first. He didn’t look at the grave. He didn’t look at the ground. He squinted out to the clouds rolling overhead and mumbled that his name was Gavin and he worked with the family at the DPD. Madison moved to stand beside Niles, taking his hand in hers, threading their fingers together and leaning her head against his arm. She introduced herself with her usual energy and said that she was glad Niles had a big brother such as him. Richard stayed back as he introduced himself. He didn’t say anything else. 

They didn’t stay for very long after that. Hank stayed behind for a bit as the others went back to their respective vehicles. Connor desperately wanted to stay, but also wanted Hank to have his private moment with his son. A few minutes later Hank came back and told Gavin he’d meet him at Carl’s. Everyone got into the cars, Niles and Madison almost looking unwilling to let go of each other. Maybe they started dating. Connor didn’t know if they had or not, frankly it was none of his business. But the thought made him smile as his youngest brother slid into the backseat of the car. Which very suddenly felt very crowded again, something Caleb had no problem complaining about. With a quick look in the rearview mirror, Hank grimaced and agreed. Though he was also quick to quip back with it not being a problem if Caleb got his own car. Caleb was a little bit of a cheap bastard, the family had discovered. So he grumbled and slid down the seat a little bit. 

After that exchange, the ride to Carl’s was actually rather lighthearted. Markus thanked Hank for letting him come with them today. Which was...surprising to Connor. Of course he’d be allowed to come with them. They were family, Markus was basically Hank’s son. Hell, he introduced himself as a brother to Cole in the first place. Hank seemed to share the sentiment and told Markus he was a “fucking member of the family whether he liked it or not”. Which caused the brothers to burst into laughter in the backseat. It was nice to be able to still have joyful conversations after what they had just done. Connor thought that maybe going to see Cole was one of the best decisions he’d made. The first, was choosing to enact that wireless transfer into Niles’ code. Connor wouldn’t have a family today if he didn’t make that choice. If he didn’t get scared about dying and tried to save himself. It was interesting to see how far he’d come. How far everyone had come. 

Markus was supposed to be left for dead, to be vivisected by CyberLife to see what caused deviancy. He somehow made it out of the building alive, forcing his way out and into the city. Detroit streets were not kind to him. He saw someone die. Held them as they died. But he ran, he went back to Jericho. Markus was going to restart the peaceful revolution. Regardless of who stood with him and who didn’t. He wanted to change the world, wanted a better life for androids. He met up with the boys who would become his brothers. Who would help him with the revolution. The people who had become his family.

Niles changed so much, too. He used to be a machine at the start of everything. Harbouring a fugitive in his very body. Having a confusing existence with his brother in his code. Despite the apathy it had begun with, the tragedy that had been Gavin pushing him in the water, he started to become more. He started to like Hank, to like Sumo, and to tolerate Connor. As time went on, he started to discover himself. Started to act like a brother to Connor without even realising it. They became close, alternating who would control their body when. Taking turns looking out for each other, looking out for Hank. He became attached. Learned to love. Learned to live. He deviated because he was _scared_ for Connor’s well being. Then made it his own mission to help his brothers where he could during the revolution. Stood by their sides and helped change history. 

Caleb...was probably the one who had changed the most. He went from being activated on the same day as Connor, to being a test subject, to being a part of someone’s family. He was a machine. Designed to accomplish a task. Yet he was repurposed for experimentation with deviancy, with coding, with programming, with anything those scientists could think of. But he made a friend. A friend who loved him more than anything else in that godforsaken laboratory. A friend who very well might have risked her own life to get him out of there, to get someone to save him, to be reunited with him in a setting that meant they both weren’t shackled to the hell of those tests. He had good days, he had bad days. Recovery wasn’t linear. Sometimes he lashed out if he was scared, but as long as no one actually touched him, everything was okay. Over the course of four months he had been accepted into a family, made friends of his own, and been offered a job. Things were looking up for him. 

Connor grinned as they pulled into Carl’s driveway. Everyone was getting out of Gavin’s car, waiting to be let inside the painter’s home. It was always a delight to stay with Carl. Whether it was for a few minutes, or a few days. The brothers had gotten together for, well, sleepovers, at Carl’s countless times in the last few months. Carl’s health had gotten quite a bit better since the winter, and had insisted they come to his house instead of being cooped up in Hank’s home. It was always a joy to be at Carl’s, his caretaker android was quite sarcastic as well, which always got Caleb excited. They were like-minded. Nick was...an odd fellow. But he was always pleasant to be around. 

They all went inside when Nick opened the door, he gave Caleb his usual greeting of a soft punch in the shoulder, and they all went into the living room. Carl was in the studio apparently. He wanted the group’s visit to be somewhat of a surprise. Nick and Markus went into the studio, Carl’s excited voice coming from beyond the doors and making everyone lightly laugh. Connor could hear Markus say something about certain people being in the house, and a minute or so later, the two came out with Carl in tow. He, Elijah, and Hank immediately got to heckling each other. It was just how the three interacted together. It was nice to see Hank and Elijah getting along, really, Connor was actually a bit fond of the man now. Though it seemed that he wasn’t the only one who was fond of one of the half-siblings. Albeit in a different way. 

Connor could see Niles and Madison walk around the studio, the two of them talking and looking at Carl’s paintings. They held hands as they walked, Madison at least a foot shorter than Niles. It was just the cutest thing. What _also_ was the cutest thing, was seeing her pull Niles down to her height so she could kiss him. His LED flickered between all three colours until it settled to a soft blue, matching the colour dusting his cheeks and the tips of his ears. His free hand moved to brush her hair back from her face, and they smiled while pulling away. While it was out in the open, Connor still felt like he was almost watching something he shouldn’t have. So he looked away with a little smile on his face. It was wonderful that _one_ of them finally made a move. They had been dancing around the subject for at least a month. Connor could understand who people got so frustrated while watching two people dancing around each other like that. 

A notification blinked in the corner of his HUD. One that he hadn’t seen in a very long time. 

**_MISSION ACCOMPLISHED_ **

But he hadn’t set an objective. He hadn’t set one other than to help the android revolution to change the world. To help them get their rights. To see his family flourish-- _To see his family flourish._ He _had_ accomplished his mission. His family stood scattered around him. Hank, Carl, Gavin, and Elijah joking around with each other. Niles and Madison finally having their feelings out in the open. Nick teasing Caleb about his crush on Gavin. Having gone to visit his brother earlier that day. Connor accomplished his mission. Though, with being an RK800, he was built to always have a mission. He smiled to himself as he realised he didn’t have one, that he had no objective. He went into his settings and altered them. He didn’t constantly need to have a mission, an objective, something to work towards. He could simply just... _be._ Connor edited his mission parameters and then went to join Nick in teasing Caleb about his crush on Gavin.

**_STATUS: MISSION PENDING…_ **

  
  
  
  



End file.
